Amends
by Pari
Summary: What would you do differently if you got the chance to go back in time to relive life all over again, well read on and find out what the folks on Mystic Falls will do
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** _Here's a new Bamon fic that popped into my head. I actually hadn't planned to even post any of it until I had completed it, but some news forced my hand and made me want to get it out now. I hope it is all cohesive and makes sense as I never watched TVD from season one, didn't really start to watch it religiously until season 6. When we got some Bamon good story lines and we got Kai, need I say more :D Anyway, I hope you enjoy the read. I know I still have Redemption I need to update and I am also working on that. Stay tuned and please read and review. Thank you._

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He opened his eyes with a start. His wide eyes quickly scanned the room before settling onto the fire blazing in the fireplace. It took him a few seconds to take in his surroundings before he realized he was home, in his study. But it had been the pressure on his chest that had made him snap his eyes down to the face of a sleeping Elena Gilbert, who was curled on the huge leather couch wrapped around him. He jerked a little and as if she were waking from a fright filled dream, Elena's eyes shot open and she abruptly rose up and stared down into familiar eyes.

"Stefan, what happened?" She spoke out as she sat more upright upon the couch along with Stefan.

"Elena," He replied. "How did you get here?"

"Uhm … you invited me over," She replied confusion clear on her face as she tucked a lock of her long hair behind her ear. "For movie night, don't you remember?" She self-consciously rubbed her hand along her bare arm.

"This doesn't feel dead," He spoke lowly as his brow furrowed. "And I know because I was dead for a long time, here waiting for… Wait, where's Damon?" Stefan questioned as he slowly stood from the couch and stepped towards the doorway. And as if the sound of his name had conjured him, Damon suddenly flashed into the room.

"Okay, little brother, what's going on?" Damon asked as he looked between his brother and Elena whom he didn't feel as overjoyed at seeing as he would have thought. "Weren't we just hugging at the front door? Then it was like I blacked out, woke up, and I found myself at the Grille with a drank in my hand."

"So, you felt it too and remembered what happened?" Stefan questioned and Damon nodded his head a bit as he looked at his little brother with enlarged blue eyes.

"If you mean dying, and I mean the dead and buried kind. Not the undead with a need for blood, kind. Yeah, I remember it," He then turned a little and looked around the room as if he were expecting to see something out of place. "This doesn't feel like death to me and if this is my afterlife, you shouldn't be here," He pointed to Elena who stood from the couch and took steps closer to the Salvatore brothers. She frowned at the brother's interaction and conversation.

"What are you two talking about?" Elena questioned as she looked from one brother to the other for an explanation.

"I think I can explain," A female voice interrupted them. Stefan, Damon, and Elena all turned surprised eyes to the woman now standing at the entrance to the study.

"Sheila?" Stefan said and he and the others watched as Sheila Bennett entered the room, moved to the bar, and began to fix herself a shot of whiskey, which she quickly downed and then started to pour herself another.

"Okay, this might be the afterlife because I know for a fact, she's dead," Damon said as he pointed to the woman standing at the bar.

"Grams?" Another female voice called out from the foyer and Damon shot excited eyes to the entrance just as Bonnie Bennett appeared through the door.

"Bon-Bon?" He spoke out joyfully and she looked at him with her face scowled up.

"Don't start with me, Damon, this day is already weird enough without your mind games," Bonnie huffed out as she rolled her eyes from Damon's confused ones over to land on her grandmother. "Grams why are we here and oh my God, are you getting drunk?" Bonnie questioned the older Bennett witch who was finishing her third shot.

"Child please," Sheila Bennett replied as she rolled her eyes slightly. "I don't even start to feel a buzz until after 10 shots," She declared and Damon arched an impressed brow as he regarded her words briefly before focusing back on Bonnie.

"Okay, wait," Stefan ever the voice of reason cut in. "What is going on, Bonnie, how did we get here?"

"I don't know," She sighed out and she hugged her arms around herself. "One moment I'm standing in Grams' kitchen making us breakfast and she rushes in panicked and saying we had to leave, then we were here … like I blinked and then we were here. How did that happen exactly?"

"It's like the projection spell I've been having you practice, but next level," Sheila began to explain as she stepped away from the bar to face them. "You're not skilled enough to do teleportation yet, but he is, which is why we're all here now. I never should have sent you to that prison world," She spoke the last part lowly but Damon and Stefan both heard her clearly and knew what she was referring to.

"Kai," Damon hissed out.

"But how, I thought Bonnie locked him away in some other prison hell world," Stefan interjected.

"Wait, what?" Bonnie exclaimed as she looked at Stefan and then to her Grams.

"She did, but she used Gemini magic from children who were too young and weren't powerful enough at the time to make the spell powerful enough. The magic likely degraded in time and allowed him to break free. And, Bonnie, I know this is all confusing for you, babygirl," Grams spoke out as she moved to her granddaughter and grasped her hand. "I wish we had more time where we could sit down and I could explain things in more detail, but we don't have the time. Just know this, none of us are supposed to be here, we're all dead," She began and Elena and Bonnie's eyes enlarged in fright. "Don't worry, you both lived a long and happy life before you died," Sheila assured them both. "Bonnie, you and Damon died once before and I cast a spell that would stop 'you' from being blinked into oblivion when the other side collapsed, sent you 'both' to an alternate world where I thought you would be able to live the life, I always wanted for you. I didn't know then that where I was sending you was actually some prison hell world, a place designed to keep a very dangerous man. I know it all sounds unbelievable but just trust me and go with it," She said and Bonnie silently nodded as she waited for her Grandmother to continue. "This bad guy is named Kai, and you were able to stop him by trapping him in another prison world, but he was able to escape that too. Then Damon killed him…"

"So, we thought, I mean one would think decapitation would do the trick, but noooo. He's like a cockroach," Damon tossed in and Sheila nodded in agreement.

"True, so he was able to get out that time too, but Bonnie, you were able to defeat him and trap him once more, but now he's managed to get out again," Sheila continued. "This time he's decided to come to the past and try to change things before they happened. This world has already been affected by the things he's done. He's already found his twin sister Josette and killed her, but then his family's coven was able to stop him before he could claim any more of them. They're now in hiding and won't be able to help us. So, we won't be able to trap him again with any Gemini magic."

"This all sounds crazy," Elena spoke.

"You're dating a vampire sweetie, but you didn't find that crazy?" Sheila questioned and Elena clamped her mouth closed quickly.

"How do you know this, if these things happened in all of our futures? How could you remember it when I don't?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't either," Elena added.

"You're not a vampire yet," She said as she looked at Elena who instantly paled from fright at her words. "And now you may never become one. And as for you," She then turned to Bonnie. "You're not a powerful enough witch yet, I think that's why you weren't affected. It seems that only true supernatural beings retained their memories. I've already gotten plenty of calls from some witch friends of mine asking me if I knew what was going on, but I played dumb to protect you, Bonnie. Witches, vampires, werewolves, whatever, we all remember everything we've experienced 'before'. That is also why things are being changed now, some are doing things differently than they did before, which is changing the outcome of the future that was."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know and I don't think it matters, we already lived that other future life and we know how it ends. At least as far as how it ends for ourselves. This is all a redo. A chance to do things differently, live another life if we want to. And I can tell you right now I don't plan to die the way I did before, using my powers to the point it completely drains me. I've already taken care of that problem to make sure it never happens."

"What? Grams?" Bonnie's hold on her grandmother's arm tightened as her fears heightened and worry etched across her face.

"Don't you worry, baby. Like I said, 'that' death is not gonna happen again," Sheila assured her. I don't plan to leave you now, especially not while there's danger out there looking for you. And you," She then turned to Damon. "I know you and Bonnie developed a very strong and loving bond between you, but don't think any of that wins you any favors with me," Bonnie's mouth fell open a bit at this news as she shot stunned eyes onto Damon. "That was then and this is now. So, if you want to get on my good side 'now', you protect her and help me to keep her safe," She declared.

"With my last breath," Damon promised not that it has ever been a question in his mind. He always protected his family and those he held dear. He had deemed Bonnie family long ago and through all the trials and tribulations of their long relationship she had become the one most-dearest to him.

"Good," Sheila said with a nod. "Because I will need your help to stop Malachai."

"Oh, I insist on first dibs at killing him," Damon said as a deadly gleam flashed in his eyes. "This time I won't just decapitate him, I'll also rip out his heart, set him on fire, and then I'll scatter his ashes in the wind," Damon spoke it as a promise. "I won't let him get the chance to hurt you ever again, Bon-Bon, I swear," He added and she continued to stare at him with a stunned look as her face scrunched up in more confusion. She thought his words and definitely the way he was looking at her held endearment. When just the day before those same eyes held contempt and murderous intent towards her

"And I'm gonna hold you to that, Damon. You keep her safe no matter what," Sheila declared and Damon nodded. "Because he is coming for you, Bonnie."

"But why me?" Bonnie said as a new fear filled her. "If he's out now and I have no way to send him back again why would he even bother with me?"

"Probably because you've already imprisoned him twice, so he wants to take you out and make sure there's no threat to ever sending him back," It was Stefan that answered.

"No, I'm betting it's because she destroyed hell, with a little help from her ancestors," Sheila said as she smiled proudly, as Bonnie's eyes bulged out of her head and her mouth fell open in shock. "What you did elevated you to levels of power I never even knew existed. You might just be the most powerful witch to have ever lived. So, Kai is probably very scared of you and the power you will one day wield."

"Both good guesses, but both wrong," Damon stated and all eyes fell to him. "He's coming for you, Bonnie, because he's in love with you. He's demented and a complete sociopath, so his idea of love is warped and twisted, I'm sure, but he does love you in his own way. He'll probably first start to woo you to try to get you to come over to the dark side with him and when you refuse, 'then' he'll try to kill you."

"Okay, that's creepy as hell," Bonnie said as she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.

"You don't have to worry, Bonnie, we're going to protect you," Sheila proclaimed. "That's why we're gonna need to stay here until we can find Kai and stop him once and for all. I've already put a Kai proof spell over this house. He shouldn't be able to break it, and if he tries it will syphon his power and energy for a short time," She said as she looked to Damon and then to Stefan as she spoke this.

"Of Course, you're both welcome to stay here as long as it takes," Stefan replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "But do, you know how to find him and stop him?"

"I haven't been able to find where he's hiding out, I started looking the second I was rebirthed here back in the past," She answered. "He's got help or he's syphoned from a very powerful witch and attained their powers and skills. He's cloaking himself, but he's not so good at it. I can catch glimpses of him from time to time, but before I can fully locate him, he discovers my spell and moves again," Sheila replied and then again focused onto Bonnie. "So, you and I will have to do a lot more practicing. We need to get your magic skills up. You turn out to be the most powerful Bennett witch, babygirl. It took some time for you to get there, time we don't have now. So, with a little magical persuasion from me and a lot of practicing from you, I think we can get you there more quickly."

"But I thought you always said that I can't rush my magic," Bonnie questioned.

"That was before I learned that some evil guy would come back across time just to get to you. All the rules I told you before will not apply now. Now, it is all about keeping you safe."

"And we will keep you safe," Damon declared. The words and the look on his face convinced Bonnie that he believed what he was saying to her, though she didn't trust him at all.

"If you wouldn't mind, Stefan, could you take me back to my place so I can pack up some things for Bonnie and myself?" Sheila asked and Stefan hurriedly nodded. "When I realized what was happening I panicked and we left in such a hurry I couldn't grab what we'll need."

"Of course," He unfolded his arms.

"Yeah, and could you take me home on the way," Elena spoke out. "I don't fully understand what all is happening but I need to check on Ric and Jeremy. Make sure they're okay."

"I think you need to stay here to be safe," Damon said and Elena scowled at him, but he directed his gaze to Stefan. "He used her as bait before, she may not remember why but Kai does," He added and Stefan nodded in agreement.

"He's right, Elena," Stefan said. "But I don't know if we should even tell you why…"

"In the original timeline, in a couple of years from now you get turned into a vampire," Sheila quickly started to explain and both Damon and Stefan looked at her in confusion. "Yes, I was dead by then but I still kept an eye on all things going on here, particularly when it came to Bonnie." She answered their unasked question. "Anyway," She focused back onto Elena. "You break up with this brother," She pointed to Stefan who stood quiet with a stoic look on his face. Elena turned to stare at Stefan as she listened. "Then you get with this brother, and you two lived happily ever after, more or less," Disgust fell across both Elena and Bonnie's faces at hearing this. Elena shook her head in disbelief. "Look, I already told you we don't have time to be delicate about things. Also, none of that has to happen now, we in particular," She pointed to Stefan, to Damon, and then to herself. "We know all that will happen and so we have the power to change things and prevent things," Both of the Salvatore brothers nodded their understanding. "Kai learned how obsessed Damon was with you and that you were Bonnie's oldest friend and he used you before to get to them," She continued to explain to Elena. "And there's no reason for him not to try that same tactic, because it worked really well the first time. So, you would be safer here with all of us, Elena."

"Wait, she really goes from one brother to the other?" Bonnie interjected as her face screwed up in horrific disgust.

"Geez, thanks Bonnie, but allow me a moment to take in the fact that I will apparently become a slut before you rub it in my face," Elena huffed out as she settled hurt eyes upon one of her closest friends.

"Oh no, Elena, I didn't mean it like that, though that is kind of skanky … But I just meant, well, it seems you have a thing for vampires," Bonnie corrected. "And that's kind of ewww,"She said as she made a twisted up face.

"Oh, baby, so do you," Sheila said to which both Damon and Stefan nodded their heads. Bonnie looked to each of them in shock. "So, don't be so quick to toss around rocks when the house you will live in someday is made of glass."

"What, who? No, I don't want to know," Bonnie held up a hand and shook her head. "Because it will never happen, not now, not ever … Well, ever again. Now that I know, I can and I will stop it from ever happening," She proclaimed as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Sure, you will baby," Sheila replied with a knowing smile that suggested she didn't fully believe what Bonnie had said. "Let's go, Stefan, I want to get back before nightfall."

"I … I still need to make sure my family is safe," Elena stated.

"We'll stop by and check on them, make up some excuse as to why you need to stay here for a bit," Stefan said as he reached out and grasped her hand to reassure her.

"Thank you, Stefan, and I…" She felt the need to apologize if she had hurt him in some future that she had no knowledge of and which now just might never happen.

"It's all right Elena, I forgave you a long time ago and I even found love again," He confessed. "We both got a happily ever after with other people," He added a lie to help set her mind at ease, but his words only made her a bit jealous.

"All right, let's do this mushy stuff later," Sheila cut in. "I need to get my Grimoire and other things, we'll need all the help we can get to fight Kai," She then moved to the exit. Stefan gave Elena's hand a slight squeeze, tossed her a kind smile, and then followed Sheila out. After a few moments of silence Damon spoke out.

"Can I get you ladies something to drink or eat?" He offered courteously.

"Do you even have food?" Bonnie asked as she scowled at him, he simply gave her a kind smile as he regarded her.

"Yes, we keep food in the house in case we have guests," He answered honestly. "It's easier to keep up the pretense that we're human if we live that way for the most part. Also, we can still eat human food. I quite enjoy food actually. Yes, we need blood to live and not desiccate but there's nothing to prevent us from eating like you do."

"You know, I did wonder about that. I've seen Stefan eat but how do you digest it, I mean, technically you're dead or undead, right?" Elena asked and in reply Damon flashed to Bonnie and grasped her hand before she could react. He placed her hand right inside the top of his unbuttoned shirt and against his left breast. She looked up at him in slight fright before she realized what his intentions were.

"You have a heartbeat," She gasped out as he removed his hand from hers, but she kept her hand against his warm flesh.

"Yeah, human blood keeps our bodies working pretty much the same as it did when we were alive. Our hearts beat and our digestive system still works. Just another way we can blend in better."

"Except no matter how you might pretend, you're still just a murdering vampire," Bonnie spat out at him as she snatched her hand back and Damon flinched as the hate, he could see in her eyes and hear in her tone struck him. It had been a lifetime since he had felt that from Bonnie and it cut him deeply.

"That was in the past," He began but she cut him off.

"Actually, that was a week ago when you nearly killed me," She hissed back at him. He looked at her in confusion as he tried to recall a time so long ago to his recollection when he had harmed Bonnie. "Thankfully, Stefan was there and he saved me."

"When you destroyed the Bennett Talisman," He finally recalled as he averted his eyes to the floor in shame and nodded his head slightly.

"Right, it technically wasn't even me that did it, but that didn't stop you from nearly ripping my throat out."

"I'm sorry," Damon said softly to her.

"Apology not accepted," She replied gruffly back to him.

"Okay, you two," Elena finally spoke as she wanted to end the growing tension in the room. She could never understand why Bonnie always felt the need to antagonize a vampire like Damon. "If what Sheila said is true-"

"Every word of it is the truth and you two need to accept that," Damon said as he looked at the brunette in the room.

"All right, then we need to work together to stop this Kai guy. So, you two need to call a truce. At least until this is over."

"Not, likely," Bonnie mumbled under her breath and Damon quietly chuckled as he recalled the time, he had asked her for a truce and she flat out told him no.

"And it's not necessary," Damon spoke out again. "You only know the old version of an angry, vengeful Damon Salvatore. The me before I changed, before 'you' helped me change. Before we grew to become friends, very best friends," He said this while he looked directly at Bonnie. "I can only recall you as my best friend. Someone I love dearly and for who I'd do anything to protect, as you've done countless times for me," These words made her feel uncomfortable as she fidgeted a little in the spot where she stood gazing into his dazzling blue eyes. "I haven't had the Judgey, 'I hate you Damon', Bonnie Bennett around for a long while, so long I had forgotten how much I actually enjoyed that side of you. Man, I used to do stupid things just to rile you up, even when I knew you'd end up giving me an aneurysm. It was worth it though because when you are that angry and full of power, you're intoxicating to behold," He ended and both Bonnie and Elena were stunned quiet at his words, which sounded a lot like a come on.

"You're ridiculous," Bonnie finally said as she dropped her head a bit and tried to shake off the feelings his words had invoked in her. Warm feelings she didn't even want to acknowledge and never wanted to examine. Damon's robust laughter made her jump a little as she raised her wide eyes back up at him.

"I've missed you, Bon-Bon," He spoke this softly as he reached up and cupped at her face. Bonnie stood there too stunned by his words to even swat away his hand. "I'll go make us some drinks and snacks while we wait for Stefan and Sheila to return. You ladies make yourselves at home," He spoke over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.

"Okay, that was super weird," Elena stated as she moved to stand right before Bonnie who nodded her head in reply. "And you and Damon becoming besties in the future…"

"A future that won't ever happen," Bonnie quickly added as she shook her head to the idea. "I don't know what kind of fucked up things happen to me in his version of the future, that would ever cause us to become besties, but I don't plan to relive it. I'll find out what happened and then, I don't know. I'll do the complete opposite."

"And exactly how do you plan to find out what happened between you and Damon?"

"I'll ask my Grams, she seems okay with letting it all out anyway, to hell with what consequences it might have on the future."

"Or, you could just ask me," Damon offered as he flashed back into the room carrying a tray with a couple of canned sodas and a plate of assortments of meats, cheeses, and crackers. He settled the tray on the table closest to the couch. "I think I can tell you about 'our' relationship much better than Sheila can."

"Okay, but me first," Elena began and Damon sighed softly as the offer had only been for Bonnie. He then inwardly laughed because he should have known Elena would be Elena and find a way to make it about herself. "Did you turn me to make me choose you over Stefan?" She asked in an accusatory tone as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"No, but my blood, which had been stolen unbeknownst to me was used on you and then you died sometime afterwards. That's how you were turned. I didn't personally do it," He answered. "And yes, your being turned, maybe even being sired from my blood, it did cause your feelings for me to be heighten. But those feelings were already there, Elena."

"And I just bet you used that fact to manipulate me and the situation," She added as she glowered at him and he nodded.

"Yup, I was a selfish bastard back then, and I was determined that I would get the girl that time, instead of Stefan. I believed I loved you so much that I was willing to do anything to have you," He spoke these words as he regarded her, subconsciously eyeing her from top to bottom before settling on her outraged face. "Oh, don't worry, been there done that, and I assure you it won't happen this time around," She blinked and looked if his cold and calloused words had literally smacked her across the face and knocked the air from her.

"Now, what about you, Bon-Bon," Damon then turned and gave the young witch his full attention. "What would you like to ask me?

"To please stop calling me that?" She asked irritated at the tingles stirred in her at hearing that nickname fall from his mouth.

"Nope," He answered with a smirk. "I started calling you that because I knew how much it irked you, then over the years it became a true term of endearment. Honestly, I don't think I could stop myself from saying it even if I really wanted to, which I don't. Next question?" He moved to the bar and poured himself a glass of bourbon.

"What exactly happened between us that made us so close, that I stopped detesting you and we became such good friends?"

"We died together, holding hands as we faced down death together," He replied and then took a sip of his drink be for continuing. "Except, instead of blinking into nothingness your Grams sent us, well it was intended for only you, to Kai's prison world. Though I don't think she knew that's what it was. Hell, I wouldn't put it passed that motherfucker to have had something to do with us ending up in his world," Damon growled out a little as his grip on the glass in his hand tightened some. He took in a deep breath to calm himself. "Anyway, we were there for months repeating the same day over and over, May 10th 1994. That day may have been a great day for someone but for us it was literal hell. As time went by, we gained a comradery, trust, and eventually friendship. At the time we thought that world was all we would ever see and all we had in that world was each other. Yeah, we still fought like we always did and one of us would storm off promising never to return, but we always did. And you and I created a moderately happy little life right here in this house together. That is until you noticed that we weren't alone. Soon after Kai made his presence finally known saying he knew how to get us out and back to our real world alive. In the end we discovered he was a sadistic asshole who murder several of his family members because he was power hungry, and the remaining family sent him to that prison world."

"Knowing that we still helped him escape?" Bonnie asked in disbelief.

"That was mostly me," Damon confessed and Bonnie rolled her eyes slightly not at all surprised by this news. "I was more than willing because like I said before, I would do anything for the love of Miss. Elena Gilbert, and I wanted to get back to her," He said around a humorless laugh as he locked his eyes to the fire still roaring in the fireplace. He then gulped down the rest of his drink. "In the end, the plan got shot to hell. While working on the escape plan where you were determined to get us out and leave Kai behind, you were hurt, stabbed by Kai. But you had enough strength to send me back. I didn't want to leave you, I told you to stop but you, always the sacrificial lamb when it comes to people you care about. You sent me anyway because 'I' had become someone you cared about. And probably because you got tired of all the moaning I was doing about Elena, Elena, Elena," He added on with a smirk that widened into a smile when he noticed Bonnie trying to keep in the laugh that wanted out.

"Screw you Damon," Elena threw at him unamused. His dismissive attitude regarding her had started to irk her.

"Yeah, been there done that too," He mumbled out knowing they both could still hear him, and got the result he had intended which was an embarrassed Elena shutting her mouth. "Anyway, I was so angry with you for sending me back, because for all of my moaning about coming back to Elena I realized that I didn't want to be back without you here. I spent every waking moment trying to find a way to get you out of there. Knowing that you were there with Kai gave me nightmares. Then when I learned that he got out and left you there that just made it all the worse for me."

"So, how did you finally get me out?" Bonnie asked, her toned a bit softer than it was before.

"Oh, not me, that was all you baby," He said as he raised his fresh glass of bourbon in a toast to her. Bonnie found herself now being flattered by the endearing term he used, and she side eyed Elena who seemed visibly bothered by it. "It may be hard for you to believe right now, Bonnie, but someday you will become one helluva witch. The likes I've never seen before and I've been alive for a very long time and have dealt with my share of witches. None could hold a candle to your powers not even those in your own bloodline, like Emily or even your Grams."

"Now, 'that' is hard to believe," She huffed out as she took in a deep cleansing breath, raked her hands through her hair, and then wrapped her arms around herself in a comforting manner as she walked over to the fireplace. Damon followed her with his eyes and made it a point to ignore the questioning gaze Elena had locked onto him. He knew he would have to deal with her at some point but right now keeping Bonnie safe was all he would allow himself to focus on. "This Kai guy, you say he's in love with me," Bonnie spoke out again as she let her eyes lift from the crimson blaze up to Damon's ice blue eyes. "So, when you and I were locked in that isolated world with him did he and I have a romantic relationship?" Damon's face frowned up in a disgusted mask.

"God, no," He groaned out. "Oh, he flirted a lot and I know that was where his mind was most of the times. I mean, he was trapped there as a teenager and probably never got any experience with girls before then. But I was never gonna let that happen," He started and both Bonnie and Elena regarded those words curiously.

"Well, what about after you got out and I was stuck there alone with him?"

"No," Damon shook his head and clinched his jaws as he recalled the time, she physically shared all the pain she experienced at the hands of Kai. "You shared with me what he did do to you, but it was never anything sexual or romantic. He tormented you and tortured you. Then once he figured out that he could use your blood to get out, he stabbed you and left you for dead. Had I'd known he done those things to you before I decapitated him, I would have taken my time and killed him slowly. Even let you get some licks in."

"No thanks, not my thing," Bonnie said as she frowned up at the thought of it.

"You may not think so now, but what he did to you in that world changed you, and you had no issues with giving him his comeuppance, a couple of times. Unfortunately, neither lasted and here we are."

"Well, I have Grams to help me now," Bonnie said as she rubbed her arms again. "She'll figure it out and find a way to stop him once and for all."

"And you have me too," Damon tossed in and she once again locked her eyes with his. She could clearly see his sincerity. "I won't let Kai or anyone else harm you, Bonnie. You're my witch and no one will ever touch you."

"I am not your anything," She spat back at him. "I don't know what head damage happens to me in the future that would cause such a huge lapse in judgment to make me think of you as a friend…"

"Your very best friend," Damon interjected cutting off her words. "You told me once that I was at the top of the totem pole with Caroline in second and Elena third," This made Elena instantly cast disbelieving and hurt eyes to her friend. "It didn't happen overnight, and I admit I did a lot of shitty un-best-friend-like things, but you never once gave up on me. Not once. And I never got the chance to tell you or show you just how much I appreciated your friendship and loyalty to me, Bonnie. Now, I have a second chance and I won't blow it this time. And it doesn't matter that you don't trust me now, that you dislike what I am and how I've behaved thus far. It doesn't even matter if you make it your life's mission to hate me forever, just to spite me. I'll still love you, you'll still be 'my' very best friend, and I will always be there for you whether you want me to or not," Bonnie stood silently staring at him in slight awe. She had to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat at his words of love and devotion towards her. Though she doubted she'd ever admit it out loud, what he had said made her feel safe and terrified her all at once.

"But I thought 'we' were married," Elena said as her brows furrowed in confusion.

"We were for 40 relatively happy years," He confirmed.

"Well, the way you sound it's as if you wished you had married to Bonnie."

"You're right, sometimes I wished I had married Bonnie," He confirmed calmly as he stared directly back at Elena. He had heard the gasp of surprise fall from Bonnie's mouth but found that he was just as cowardly now as he was then at her ever learning that truth. But At least now he had said it to them both, which had been something he never had the courage to confess before. "I loved you Elena. I always loved you even when I wasn't in love with you anymore. We built a wonderful life together and even raised a daughter together," Her eyes widened at hearing they had a daughter.

"Wait, we're going to have a daughter, but how?"

"No, we raised a daughter together, past tense," He corrected. "That's not going to happen now. But you can still go on to have a litter of children if you want to, and I hope you do. You were an amazing mother. It just won't be with me."

"But…"

"No, we have already lived that life," He continued cutting off her words while he shook his head. "It's done and there's no reason to try to do it again. Besides, at this point in our relationship you are falling for my brother and you don't like me at all. And I don't plan to obsess, stalk, and impose myself upon you as I did before. You're free to fully explore things with Stefan, but it will save you a lot of heartache and headaches if you find yourself a nice human guy to settle down with."

"Right," Elena mumbled out as she bowed her head a bit and averted her eyes from his. It was obvious to both Damon and Bonnie that Elena's feelings were hurt. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom," She announced and moved to the exit. Bonnie waited until her friend had disappeared before she moved her hard eyes to Damon.

"That was harsh," She hissed at him in a lowered voice. "How can you be so cold towards her and so easy to dismiss that life you shared with her. You two had a daughter, what about her? Doesn't she deserve a future?"

"She wasn't my biological daughter, Bonnie," Damon said with a sad sigh. She could see that this was something that pained him. "I loved her dearly and I never treated her as anything other than my flesh and blood."

"Right, sorry, you're a vampire so of course she wouldn't be yours biologically," She stated with a nod.

"No, I was human and Elena told me she was mine," He continued and Bonnies eyes enlarged at this. "In that other future things happened, things that I can safely say will not happen this time if I can help it. But I end up becoming human again as does Elena and we live a normal 'human' existence. But one day she will start an affair with one of the doctors she works with and she will get pregnant by him. She'll lie and tell me it's mine but I will find out when our daughter is 5 years old and breaks her arm, that she's not actually mine. I do some digging and that's when I learn of Elena's infidelity. I also discover when I confront the guy that he knew from the start that our daughter was really his, Elena had told him the truth when she found out she was pregnant. But he and Elena had decided it was best to pass her off as mine. He told me that as he had told Elena he didn't want to marry her or have any kids. So, she settled and stayed with me."

"My God, I'm sorry, Damon," Bonnie spoke gently to him, genuinely sympathetic to his plight and disturbed to learn of her friends conniving behavior.

"Don't be, I wasn't always available when Elena needed me to be," He said dismissively. "I got involved in some charity work that I found very fulfilling and which took me away from home a lot."

"That's no excuse for Elena to cheat and then knowingly pass another man's child off as yours. That's despicable actually," She shook her head as she said this. "You never told her you knew the truth, did you?"

"No, what would have been the point? It had already been years and in that time, from the time our daughter was born she had sparked a renewed love between Elena and I. We grew close again. I handed over the work of the charity to someone else and I stayed home more. I started loving my life again."

"Because of your daughter."

"Yes, she was amazing and she was my everything. She was also your goddaughter and you loved her and spoiled her rotten. In fact, you often gave me a lot of competition in the whole spoiling department," He added with a smile which Bonnie returned.

"Well, you could still have a happy life and a daughter…"

"Yes, I could and really hope I will," Damon interjected. "But it won't be with Elena," He said and the way he stared at Bonnie made her shiver a bit. His eyes alone told her that she was going to play some part in a future with Damon whether she wanted it or not. Her mouth became suddenly dry as she tried to muster up words to reply, and was saved as Elena reentered the room.

"What did I miss?" Elena asked as she looked between Damon and Bonnie, who stood on opposite sides of the room silently staring at each other.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

**Sometime Later**

* * *

Stefan and Sheila had returned just before dark reporting that Kai had made his presence known to them, well to Stefan, as he didn't seem to regard Sheila at all. Sheila thought that was good and to their advantage. Kai hadn't spoken with them nor came close enough that Stefan could confront him. He simply waved at Stefan from afar before disappearing. They had then spent a couple of hours discussing things. Stefan and Damon had taken turns telling Bonnie and Elena about what had happened during their encounters with Kai. Damon was the one doing most of the talking since he had the most intimate experience with Kai. When Bonnie had said she wanted to turn in early Damon carried the duffle bag Sheila had brought filled with Bonnie's clothes and escorted Bonnie up to the room he had chosen for her.

"That door over there is to the bathroom," Damon said as he pointed at the open doorway to the bathroom on the right side of the stately room. Bonnie entered the room and stood just at the foot of the massive bed as she looked around the room in awe. The room was just how she used to imagine the room of a princess to be when she was a little girl. It was very beautiful and seemingly magical too. "That door over there," He pointed to the closed door on the left side of the room. "It leads to my bedroom, which is right next door."

"What! I'm not sleeping in a bedroom that's adjoined to yours," Bonnie yelped out as she stalked to the exit. Damon hadn't bothered to try to stop her for he knew Sheila Bennett was just about to enter.

"Yes you are, babygirl," Sheila spoke as she crossed the threshold before Bonnie could fully walk out. Bonnie stumbled back a little to avoid running into her grandmother.

"Grams, you do know that Damon's an evil murdering vampire, right? Also, he tried to kill me. Now, you expect me to sleep in a room tied to his. Why don't you just cut my throat and drain my blood into a crystal champagne glass for him?"

"I don't recall you being this dramatic," Sheila stated as she frowned up a bit at Bonnie.

"And she never grows out of it either," Damon replied as he stood behind them smiling with his arms across his chest.

"Shut up," Bonnie hissed out as she quickly tossed him a hateful glare before she focused back onto her grandmother. "Grams, please, let's just find somewhere else to stay. There has to be someplace safer than here," Bonnie pleaded and Sheila smiled warmly at her as she reached out as cupped Bonnie's face.

"Bonnie, do you trust me?"

"Of course, I do, but-"

"Nu-uh, no buts," Sheila cut off her words as she continued to speak. "If you trust me, then trust me when I tell you that I would never put you in a situation that I thought would harm you. I love you and I would protect you with my life, and I know you don't believe it but so would Damon," These words made Bonnie frown up as she looked over at Damon. He couldn't tell if it was a look of confusion or disgust. "You two became the best of friends and you 'both' loved and respected each other. It took years for true trust to develop between you, but I promise you Damon, this Damon, would ever harm you. You can trust that and trust him. And if all of that doesn't make you feel any safer, I am in the room on the other side, 'contextus'," She chanted and a new door appeared on the wall next to the bathroom door. "Now, there is a door connected to my bedroom too, okay?" Bonnie visually breathed a sigh of relief and nodded her head. "Good, now try to get some sleep because tomorrow we are gonna start practicing on some serious spells, and you will need your strength. Goodnight baby," She leaned in and placed a soft kiss upon Bonnie's forehead and then she threw a slanted smile at Damon. "Goodnight, Damon."

"Night Sheila," He replied with a kind smile and then said nothing more as she left the room, closing the door behind her. He knew once Sheila was out of sight Bonnie would have more venom to spit at him and so he waited, but when she turned back to him, he didn't see anger in her eyes. She avoided his eyes as she lifted her hand and pulled at her bottom lip, it was a nervous tick of hers. One she did when she was feeling unsure or insecure about something. "You really are safe here Bonnie, and safe with me."

"Yeah, so you keep telling me," She mumbled out with a sigh but there was no anger in her voice this time when she addressed him. "And I believe it when Grams says it, but…"

"You believe it here," Damon placed a hand over his chest. "Something inside, something in your gut tells you I won't harm you. But here," He then lifted his hand and tapped his temple. "That voice inside your head is yelling, 'danger, Bonnie Bennett, danger'," He said in a robotic tone and Bonnie smiled and giggled a little as she knew that Lost in Space reference well, it was one of her favorite old shows.

"Considering what happened just last week, no, it's screaming 'danger' at the highest octave," Bonnie said as she cast out a nervous smile.

"I am sorry that I did that to you," Damon offered. "As I recall I wasn't even mad at you, I was mad at Emily. Fact is I should have thanked her because as it turned out Katherine was a heartless bitch who never even loved me. She really loved Stefan, but that didn't stop her from manipulating my love for her to get what she wanted."

"Okay, who is Katherine?" Bonnie asked as her face bunched up in confusion. "Elena, told me that she would explain everything because apparently she knows, but then she and Stefan had a falling out and she got sidetracked I guess."

"Oh," He spoke as he moved to the oversized bed and seated himself at the foot of it. "Okay, well, Katherine Pierce is mine and Stefan's sire, meaning she is a vampire and it was her blood that turned us into vampires back in the 1800s," He began to explain and Bonnie stood instantly engrossed. "She actually was a witch before she herself was turned," Damon could see Bonnie's eyes and ears perked up at that news. "But that's another story for another time. Anyway, I fell in love with her and I thought she loved me too, but that was a lie. She knew I was the foolish Salvatore brother who would do anything for her. Anyway, to make a long story short, your ancestor Emily Bennett was Katherine's handmaid and on-call witch. Emily and I made a pact, the deal was I would protect the Bennett line for as long as I lived and in return, she would keep Katherine safe. In the end, Emily broke the promise and that's why I attacked you when she destroyed the amulet. I wanted to hurt Emily, and I took it out on the closest person I had to her, which happened to be you. And I am truly sorry about that."

"So, you lost the woman you loved and lashed out at the person who was supposed to keep her safe but didn't, I get it," Bonnie said with a nod as she moved closer to the bed and sat down upon the bed, which was so big there was still quite a bit of space between her and Damon. "Sounds like you really loved her if you've been pining for her for over one hundred years."

"Yeah, I truly did," He confirmed as he dropped his eyes to the floor and nodded his head. He then lifted his eyes back up to Bonnie as he took a deep breath. "But she never really felt the same for me and all of our lives would have been a lot better had she died long before she actually did."

"Well, on the bright side you eventually moved on, right? You fall in love with Elena," Bonnie offered and Damon was endeared that even though at this point for her they were sworn enemies she still felt empathy towards his situation and was actually trying to make him feel better.

"Yeah, once upon a time in another life, but do you want to hear something funny?"

"What?" Bonnie said as she looked at him genuinely intrigued.

"Elena, is Katherine's doppelgänger."

"Wait, you mean they looked alike?" Bonnie asked as she sat with her eyes enlarged and mouth opened in surprise.

"Identical in every way," Damon confirmed with a nod and a chuckle. "Even with the lying and manipulating. Granted Katherine had centuries to perfect those skills so she was far better at than Elena ever was, but Elena is still very good at manipulating others to get what she wants, as you well know. And don't bother denying it, you've told me plenty of stories over the years about how she would manipulate you, going back as far as when you were 7. Remember at 'your' tea parties how she would always find ways to get you to allow her to be the hostess and wear the tiara. Fake crying, pretending to feel sick, and even threatening not to be your friend anymore."

"I told you about that?" Bonnie was stunned to learn this as that was a secret, one she had never shared with anyone before, not even her Grams.

"Yes, you did, among other tales, and trust me it was a lifetime of manipulation, convincing you to cast little spells here and there for her, and so long as it didn't harm anyone you would do it. Even if it went against your witchy moral compass, you'd sometimes preach to me about whenever I'd ask you for a little spell. Some rule about never using your magic for frivolous things. But anything to make Elena Gilbert happy, right?" Damon said and although he hadn't actually rolled his eyes as he said the words, Bonnie sensed the disdain in his tone. "And I'm not casting stones here. Hell, I used to be the captain of the 'Anything for Elena' boat, but not this time around. And I hope by me telling you this, you won't be so eager to please her either. You do not have to always be the sacrificial lamb for everyone, and I won't let you be either. I won't stand idly but this time and allow you to risk yourself like that again," He declared and the look in his eyes, the actual 'love' Bonnie saw shining there caused her breath to hitch in her throat and a blush to tint her cheeks. She quickly averted her eyes to the floor. Damon noticed but he knew now wasn't the time to tease her as he normally would have.

"Damon," She spoke carefully as she continued to avoid his eyes. "The way you talk about me you sound like you … and earlier you said you wanted to … I mean, do you … never mind," She shook off her thought and frowned up a little as she ended her words with a shake of her head. She thought the idea too preposterous to even say out loud. And she was sure he would laugh and taunt her about it if she said it.

"Yes, Bonnie, I do love you. Very much in fact," He confessed openly as he stared at her sincerely. "And a part of me loved you even back at this time when you were this 17-year-old girl who had just started to learn how strong and powerful she was. I thought I hated you and all your judgment towards me and righteous indignation. But I later realized that I actually really respected you and liked your fierceness and loyalty to your loved ones," He offered and she swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat from not just his words but the look of endearment in his eyes.

"Why? I never give you any reason to. I really can't stand you, it's not an act, you know?" She tossed out.

"I know," Damon chuckled out. "I guess I just like a strong woman who smacks me around and keeps me in my place," He answered with a wink and she found herself swoon a little, but quickly came to her senses once more.

"And on that disturbing note," She said as she leaped from the bed. "I really am tired and I'm going to take a bath and then climb into bed. So, goodnight."

"All right, goodnight, Bon-Bon," Damon concurred as he too stood from the bed and moved to the door that adjoined their bedrooms.

"Would you stop-" She began to protest the nickname he insisted on calling her but he quickly shot her down.

No, I will not," He said as he stopped just at the door. "And if you need anything, I'm just a scream away," He joked around a sweet smile and then he turned the knob and opened the door.

"Right, and you better not sneak in here unless I am screaming, or I promise you I will burn something off," She warned and Damon's smile widened as he bowed his head a bit to acknowledge her threat.

"It locks from both sides, Bon-Bon," He informed her and then disappeared through the door, closing it behind him. She quickly moved to the door and flipped the lock and then rested her back against the door. She stood there contemplating all that he had told her and wondered if her life would ever be 'normal' again.

* * *

**A while later downstairs**

* * *

He entered the kitchen to find Stefan already there standing at the huge island, drinking blood.

"You know, I would've never thought I'd ever say this, but I have missed the taste of blood," He spoke as Damon stopped to stand at the island beside him. "Did you get Bonnie and Sheila settled in their rooms?"

"Uhm-hm, and did you take care of Elena?" Damon replied.

"Yeah, but just so you know I didn't put her near my room," Stefan quickly added. "I know from her perspective she and I are just at the start of our romance but for me, she's still your girl."

"No, she's not. She was and I've lived that life," Damon replied as he shook his head to the idea. "And I am not interested in nor do I have any intentions of rekindling anything with Elena again. So, little brother please feel free to pursue her if you wish."

"Really? Now, that's something I never thought I'd hear 'you' say," Stefan said as he finished off his drink and then moved to the sink to rinse out the glass.

"Yeah, and in our 'other' life I probably never would have said that, but like Sheila said, we're getting a chance to do it over and do it different if we want to, and I want to. How about you, do you plan to do it differently this time around?" Damon asked with a crooked smile as he regarded his brother.

"Yeah," Stefan replied as he let out a deep sigh. "I think when this is all done, I'm going to leave Mystic Falls once and for all," He added.

"Really, so no trying to strike up something with Caroline again?" Damon asked. "I mean, you too were only married for a second before we lost you. You never really got to experience that life you wanted with her."

"It did cross my mind for a split second, I still love her and feel it so intensely, but no," He shook his head to the idea. "She deserves a normal life, and when we came into her life, she ended up a vampire. She was robbed of her innocence, they all were," He said and without naming names, Damon knew he was referring to Elena and Bonnie as well. "So, this time I am really going to leave all of this behind. What about you?"

"I don't know it depends."

"On what or should I say 'who'?" Stefan stated. "It was pretty obvious earlier that your focus was on Bonnie. Have you found a new obsession brother?"

"No, not this time. Besides, Bonnie's the reason why we were brought back and keeping her safe is the mission, so my focus being on her is a normal reaction. But if you're asking me if my future plans are dependent on our resident witch, the truthful answer would be yes," Damon said. "You weren't around to see how we grew over the years, but we got even closer. Our friendship grew deeper, our loyalties to one another unwavering. Now, I can't imagine my life without Bonnie Bennett in it, and I honestly don't want to be in this world if she's not in my life. So, wherever she is that's where I'll be, whether she wants me there or not. I certainly won't impose myself into her life if she doesn't want it, but I'll always be there even if only in the shadows to look out for her, and keep her safe."

"Well, that's comforting to hear," Sheila's voice interrupted them as she entered the kitchen.

"Look, Sheila, I know you don't trust me, but you can trust that I would never hurt Bonnie. At least not intentionally and not like before, never again," Damon defended his words and she threw her hands up as if surrendering.

"Hey, I believe you Damon, and I was actually being sincere," She said. "It does comfort me to know that you will always look out for Bonnie."

"Well, at least one of you Bennett women thinks so," He replied.

"It wasn't a breeze to get Bonnie to trust you the first time around either, now was it?" She countered and he shook his head with a smile as he recalled his and Bonnie's early frenemies relationship.

"This time around you've got me in your corner to help it along a bit," Sheila said. "Just try to do the opposite of everything you did before that pissed her off and you should be fine. Now, do you have real food in this place because I am starving?" She asked as she looked from one Salvatore brother to the other.

* * *

**Later that night**

* * *

Her eyes snapped open and quickly scanned the room. A panic washed over her when she realized she was paralyzed as she lay prone against the many pillows at her back. The whimpering falling from her lips told her she couldn't even scream if she had wanted to.

"Shhh, it's okay," A man's voice spoke softly to her from somewhere in the darkness, which caused her heart to thump in her chest and her breathing to come out in quickened pants. "Don't be afraid Bonnie," He continued to speak in a soothing manner to her. "I know that technically, right now you don't know me, but I won't hurt you," She felt a touch of a hand stroking her cheek and it caused such a fright in her that she instantly awoke from the dream and bolted upright in the bed.

"Bonnie," Damon's voice called out to her in a whisper and she snapped her eyes to him as he rushed through their adjoining bedroom door. In truth, she was very happy to see him. "I heard you whimpering and crying out in your sleep, did you have a nightmare?" He asked as he crossed the darkened room, that was only illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the two large windows housed on either side of the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked her as he sat next to her on the side of the bed. Without hesitation he placed a comforting hand upon hers and she appreciated the security she felt from his touch and she didn't recoil it.

"I think he was here, that Kai guy," She whispered back at her and Damon's grip tightened as he darted his predatory eyes around the room looking for Kai, even though his other senses told him that they were the only ones in the room. "No, he's not actually here but I think he was in my dreams," She added.

"Fuck, then we need to wake Sheila," He stated as he began to rise up to do just that, but Bonnie placed her other hand upon his arm and stilled him.

"No," She whispered out.

"What do you mean, no?" Damon questioned as he frowned up a little while looking down at her. "She needs to do some counter spell so Kai can't get to you in your dreams."

"I can do that myself," She offered but the look her face held and the uncertainty he heard in her voice told him she wasn't sure if she could do such the spell. But Damon knew Bonnie well enough to know that she was capable of anything she put her mind to. "But first I need to make sure that it was real, or if my mind just conjured it all up. You guys scared me pretty good with all of your back to the future stories and tales of this evil warlock who is out to get me."

"Bonnie," Damon called to her to gain her attention and when she locked her eyes onto his he continued. "Never doubt your gut feelings. I can tell you from experience it has saved my life on more than one occasion, so 'always' trust it. And always listen to that little voice in your head, understand?" She let his words wash over her for a second before she gave him a curt nod in reply. "Now, do you think it was real, that Kai was really here in your dreams?"

"I didn't see his face, not that it would matter since I don't know what he looks like, but … Yeah, I'm sure it was him," She finally agreed as she nodded her head. "When he touched me-"

"He touched you, where?" Damon growled out loud and Bonnie jumped a little startled by the rumbling emanating from his chest and throat.

"Just on my cheek," She said quickly to try to placate what she could see was a rage that was filling Damon.

"Well, whatever spell you are going to do, do it now," He said in a commanding tone and under normal circumstances she would have told him off. But Bonnie could see he was simply concerned for her. With a nod of her head, she took a deep breath and then closed her eyes. Damon sat silently watching her as her lips moved and she quietly chanted some words. After several minutes she stopped and opened her eyes once more. "Is it done, or do we need to awaken Sheila?"

"It's done."

"And you're sure it will work?" He asked and she tossed him a frown. "Don't take offense, I know how powerful you are Bon-Bon, but you weren't there yet at this point in time," Damon said.

"Yeah, it was a spell Grams taught me when I was 10," She said. "I had some pretty bad nightmares at that age. So, she told me that spell, though I didn't know it was a spell then," She smiled as she remembered and Damon smiled along with her. "When she told me, I was a witch and gave me the Grimoire I found it in there. It's an altered de-invite spell. It's a way to uninvite a vampire from your home. She tweaked it to where no one can enter my dreams unless I invite them in."

"Is there a way you can invite him without meaning to, like just by thinking about him before you fall asleep and subconsciously bring him in?"

"No," She shook her head. "I can't if I don't know what he looks like, which I actually don't in this case," Bonnie stated. "Also, I have to verbally invite someone in or want them to come into my dreams."

"Sounds like a neat little spell."

"It's actually the second part of the spell Grams taught me the first one was a protection spell. It puts up a force field around me while I slept and locked out all nightmares and bad thoughts. But…" She stilled her words for several long seconds and when it looked as if she were so lost in her internal thinking that she wouldn't continue, Damon snapped her out.

"But what?" Damon asked with a scowl now on his face.

"Well, it didn't just lock things out of my dreams. Once I got locked in one of my dreams, and it took Grams three days to figure out how to break the spell and wake me up," Bonnie replied and upon seeing concern shade Damon's eyes she instantly felt a need to reassure him. "But I didn't remember any of it or anything," Damon nodded as he released a breath, he hadn't even realized he had been holding. They sat in silence for a few seconds more before she spoke again. "Well, it's pretty late so I should probably try to get some more sleep. Thank you for coming to check on me," She mumbled out quickly. The words came with ease even as her mind rebelled against spouting them to Damon of all people.

"Yeah, Sheila probably plans to have you doing some major mojo'n tomorrow so you should get more sleep," Damon replied as he stood from the bed but instead of moving back to the adjoining door he moved to the overstuffed chair that was in the corner across from the side of the bed Bonnie rested on.

"Wait, what the hell are you doing?" Bonnie asked as she stared at him baffled.

"I'm staying to watch over you," He answered. "Don't worry, I've gotten plenty of sleep already and I can go days without sleep anyway."

"Right, because you getting sleep is what I would be worried about," Bonnie threw back at him. "You are not staying in here."

"Either I stay or we wake up Sheila and tell her what happened," He said and although it wasn't in a threatening tone Bonnie knew it was a threat all the same. Just as Damon knew it would work. She huffed out and then flopped back against the mounds of pillows behind her.

"Fine, but if you touch me, I will scream and Grams will set you on fire," She also threatened.

"Go to sleep Bon-Bon," Damon chuckled out as he settled more comfortably in his chair. He was completely hidden in the shadow cast in the corner he was in and had Bonnie not already known he was there he would have gone undetected. Damon, true to his word, sat with his eyes glued to her while she tossed and turned seemingly to get comfortable, but he knew it was his presence that was the issue. "_1801\. I have just returned from a visit to my landlord the solitary neighbour that I shall be troubled with. This is certainly a beautiful country!_" His low and mellow voice stilled Bonnie as she turned her head to cast a gaze towards the dark corner unable to even make out his shape.

"Are you seriously reading me a bedtime story?" She asked as a crooked smile spread across her face.

"Well, I can't compel you to go to sleep so I thought I'd bore you with a so-called classic," Damon replied with a smile of his own. "But if it's bothersome-"

"No," She was quick to interject as she turned fully on her side and faced him. "Go on, I slept a lot in my literature class due to some really long and boring novels. So, this might help," Bonnie stated and then grew quiet.

"_In all England, I do not believe that I could have fixed on a situation so completely removed from the stir of society. A perfect misanthropist's heaven: and Mr. Heathcliff and I are such a suitable pair to divide the desolation between us_."

"Oh, I think I know this story," Bonnie interrupted again as a sudden yawn was pulled from her mouth. She quickly shot her hand up to cover it. Damon inwardly chuckled as he watched the fluttering of her eyes. He knew it wouldn't be long before she would drift off. So, he hadn't bothered shushing her, he simply continued on with the story.

"_A capital fellow! He little imagined how my heart warmed towards him when I beheld his black eyes withdraw so suspiciously under their brows, as I rode up, and when his fingers sheltered themselves, with a jealous resolution, still further in his waistcoat, as I announced my name._" At this point, Bonnie had closed her eyes and was already knocking on the Sandman's door. But still, Damon continued on reciting the novel verbatim from memory for another 20 minutes before he grew still, now sure she was sound asleep once more. He sat studying Bonnie's sleeping serene face and pondered how he had not noticed this bewitching girl during this time before. She was absolutely stunning.

* * *

Novel: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte


	3. Chapter 3

**Morning**

* * *

She hadn't recalled the last time she had slept so soundly and so peacefully. And as the sun crept in through the window with its brightness that was pulling her from her sleep, she fought against it for as long as she could. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut to fend off the illumination. It had been a slight chuckle that had finally made her snap her eyes open.

"Does squeezing your eyes closed actually work to help you sleep longer?" Damon's bright electric blue eyes reached Bonnie's still hazy state seconds before his timber voice did, and her face frowned up in slight confusion as she looked over at him. He still sat in the chair in the corner, a bit more inclined than he had been the night before.

"Why are you here?" She grumbled out as she blinked lazily but made no attempts at getting up.

"You had a nightmare last night about Kai and I stayed here all night to watch over you. Don't you remember?" He asked as he leaned forward in the chair and regarded her in true concern.

"I meant, why the hell are you 'still' here?" She added as her brow furrowed some with her sudden growing irritation with him.

"I didn't want to leave you alone while you were sleeping. In case your little spell didn't work, and Kai weaseled his way back into your dreams," Damon replied truthfully.

"Oh," Bonnie spoke softly as it took her mind a moment to ingest what he had said and the care in the way he had said it. There was a meek voice now seeping into her head that was telling her, Damon truly cared for her and wanted to protect her. She closed her eyes and shook off that voice. "Well, I'm awake now, so get out," She barked out in a commanding tone and threw out a glare, which made Damon arch an amused brow, smirk, and then leaned back more comfortably and defiantly against the chair once more.

"You are breathtakingly beautiful, did you know that?" He threw out and her mouth fell open and eyes widened a touch in surprise at his complimentary words. "And now that I think on it, I don't think there has ever been an unattractive Bennett witch, at least none I have ever met. And you are by far the most beautiful Bonnie Bennett, inside and out."

"Are you coming on to me right now? Because, I am only 17 and you're …," She squeaked out and this time she bolted upright against the massive pillows and drew the covers up closer to her chest. "How old are you anyway?" She asked with a scowl on her face.

"Uhm, let's see," Damon actually had to give it some thought and calculate back to what his age was during this time. "170-ish," He finally answered as he stood from his seat and smiled down at her. "And I'm not coming on to you Bonnie. You and I don't have that kind of a relationship at this point in time."

"Wait, but I thought…" She began to question his words which implied that at some point it would be more, But Damon cut her off.

"No, we never were lovers Bonnie, not in that other life. But this is a redo, remember. Things could be different this time," He said and went silent to allow her a second to take in what he was telling her and to ask any questions or throw any insults at him. But Bonnie just frowned up a little which told him she was thinking on his words though she said nothing in reply or protest. Damon let out a relieved breath he wasn't even aware he had been holding onto. "I was just stating a true fact," He quickly added before she had time to respond to his last words. "You are beautiful, as is your mother, your grandmother, and all the Bennett women dating back as far as Emily, who was the first Bennett witch I had ever met. And I don't just mean your outward appearance. But also, your essence and spirit even. Your aura is very intoxicating."

"Okay, that definitely sounded like a come on," Bonnie mumbled out as she threw the covers back, crawled to the opposite side of the bed, and leaped off. "Please leave now so I can get dressed."

"Sure," He conceded as he moved around the bed to his adjoining door. "Hurry down I'll make you breakfast, your favorite," He threw her a charming smile which only made her frown up more at him, this time in confusion and also some curiosity. Before he could escape through the adjoining door there was a knock to the main door of the bedroom just before it flew open and Elena hurried in. All three bodies stood silently.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Elena demanded in an accusatory tone.

"You do know it's customary to knock and then wait for someone to tell you to come in?" Damon threw back at her purposely not answering her. He didn't care one bit that she was thinking about what he was sure she was thinking. Even though during this time in their relationship they were not together and she had given the pretense of not even liking him, she looked quite jealous while she stood with her arms across her chest as she glared at him and Bonnie too.

"Bonnie, why is Damon in your room? Did he try something?" Elena directed her full attention over to Bonnie, who now also stood with her arms across her chest.

"Actually, this is his house so it's technically his room," Bonnie began to reply and her words stunned Damon and made him smirk as he moved his gazed over to her. He was sure that 'this' Bonnie Bennett would have sided with Elena. "And Damon's right, you shouldn't just barge into someone's bedroom before being invited. I mean, we may not have been decent," She added innocently not seeming to even realize how what she had said may have been perceived. Elena's mouth dropped open and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. Bonnie wasn't even aware that Elena was jealous and so she wasn't trying to rub Elena's face in the fact that Damon was in her bedroom instead of Elena's. "I'm going to go get ready for the day, I'll see you both down for breakfast. And since you say you're going to make my favorite then you should already know that I like my bacon…"

"Extra crispy, yes, Bon-Bon, I know," He interjected with a small smile and a wink. He then entered his room closing the adjoining door behind him. Bonnie stared after him for a second as she thought on just how well he actually knew her in the future. With a shake of her head, Bonnie moved to the bathroom where she had left her duffle bag full of clothes when she took her bath the night before. Then there was one and Elena stood there for a moment dumbfounded by what she had walked in on and more so by how Bonnie had treated her. But what bothered her the most was the fact that she was actually a little bit jealous.

* * *

"Good morning Damon," Stefan greeted as he entered the kitchen to find Damon loading down two plates with crisp bacon and pancakes. "Are those vampire shaped pancakes?" He questioned with an amused smile as he moved to the fridge to grab some blood.

"Yep, their Bonnie's favorites," Damon replied as he poured some orange juice in a glass for Bonnie, and settles it across the island top beside her plate.

"I recall you telling me once that she actually hated them but you kept making them to annoy her," Stefan said as he stood by the microwaving heating his blood packet.

"No, we were just keeping up appearances. Truth is she appreciated that I cared enough to make them for her every morning we were trapped in Kai's prison world."

"And what about you, what did you get out of it?"

"Her smile," Damon replied simply with a slight smile of his own as he remembered. "It was small and she always tried her best to cover it with a look of annoyance, but I always saw it. And she always ate my pancakes … always."

"And was that why you were in Bonnie's bedroom this morning, trying to make her smile?" Stefan probed further as he now stood alongside his brother where he leaned his backside against the huge island while he sipped at his breakfast.

"No, I was just watching over her," Damon answered honestly. "Last night Kai found a way to get into Bonnie's dreams."

"What!?" Stefan replied as he jerked forward a bit and nearly spilled his blood all over himself.

"It's all right little brother," He spoke out quickly to calm Stefan's worries. "Bonnie was able to do some kind of blocking spell, but just to be sure I stayed in her room and watched over her all-night, in case he came back," Stefan nodded to this.

"Does Sheila know?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, I told her this morning. But Bonnie didn't want her to know and she's gonna be pissed I told, thus the reason I made her extra vampcakes," Damon said around a smile. "So, did Elena tell you I was in Bonnie's room _before_ or _after_ she tried to seduce you this morning?" It was Damon's turn at interrogation as he turned and threw an arched brow at his stunned younger sibling.

"Wait, how did you know she came on to me?" Stefan asked genuinely surprised.

"Because I know Elena," Damon said. "Now that she knows we both loved her she'll see us as hers and if we show interested in someone else it's going to make her jealous. She'll pretend that she's not, that she's just being a concerned friend but the truth is she just wants to be the center of our attention. Does that remind you of anyone else, who coincidentally looks just like Elena?"

"C'mon Damon comparing Elena to Katherine is a bit much, don't you think?" Stefan countered with a slight scowl to show his distaste.

"I've technically known Elena decades longer than you ever did, little brother," Damon explained. "No, Elena is not a heartless bitch like Katherine, but I assure you she can be just as jealous and manipulative. So, I am guessing when she came to you and told you about me being in Bonnie's room, you told her some valid explanation to appease her. Then she threw herself at you in some innocent manner just to assure you that she doesn't care what I do and that you're still the one she wants. Given that this is still very early on in your romance with her, it was likely a very 'heated' kiss, right?" Stefan nodded in reply.

"Yeah, but I ended it as soon as she started it," Stefan confessed. "I don't know, it just felt wrong, and kind of like I was taking advantage of the situation. Don't get me wrong, I love Elena and probably always will, but I'm certainly not in love with her anymore and I haven't been for a long time."

"I know the feeling well, brother," Damon admitted. "But unlike myself, I think your feelings have more to do with the fact that you are in love with Caroline. Your wife who you never got to experience a life with thanks to Katherine, and you are a fool if you don't at least try to have that now," Damon stated. "And before you start with the 'she's too young' bit, one, age didn't bother you when you pursued Elena. And two, they'll all be of legal age this year."

"I already told you, Damon, I'm leaving Mystic Falls as soon as this danger with Kai is resolved. As much as I love Caroline and wish I could have had a life with her, I will not risk putting her through all the hardships she ended up enduring by becoming involved in our lives. I don't want to do that to any of them, and you shouldn't do it either."

"Yeah, well, we both know I'm a selfish asshole," Damon replied as he made a funny face at his brother who chuckled back at him as he shook his head.

"And a lying asshole too," Bonnie's voice cut in as she stalked through the entrance to the kitchen with Elena right behind her. They had only heard the ending of Damon's words as they approached the kitchen.

"Good morning to you too Bon-Bon," Damon greeted with a broad smile. He already knew why she was upset.

"Don't good morning Bon-Bon me," She spat back at him as she now stood across the island to where he stood and glared up at him. "I knew I shouldn't have trusted you when you promised not to tell Grams about the Kai dream, I had," She hissed out.

"I never promised that, Bonnie," He replied calmly as he cast gentle eyes down upon her and she faltered a bit as her mind tried to conjure up what he had actually said. "I did threaten to tell Sheila last night if you didn't allow me to stay and watch over you while you slept," He reminded her and she huffed a little in frustration at her own self for not making him promise to keep it secret.

"So, that's why you were in her room," Elena chimed in lowly, though all could hear her, and her words sounded more like a statement than a question. Neither Bonnie or Damon replied or gave any indication they had heard her as they kept their gaze locked onto each other.

"But I had every intention of telling Sheila first thing this morning because if we are going to defeat Kai, we can't be keeping secrets like that. So, she needed to know," Damon continued.

"Yes, she did," Sheila's voice cut in as she now entered the kitchen. "And 'you' should have told me when it happened, Bonnie," She spoke authoritatively as she folded her arms across her chest, which always made those who knew her cower a bit in fear of her, and all in the room downcast their eyes and avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry Grams, I didn't think it was necessary. I did the dream spell you taught me when I was little and it worked," Bonnie defended.

"And I am glad baby, but the fact that he could even enter your dreams tells me that the spell I cast over this house to keep him out isn't strong enough, and I need to beef it up," Sheila countered. "So, from now on I want to know if anything odd is happening with you. And I don't care how insignificant you might think it to be, I need to know. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am," Bonnie's meek voice replied as she nodded her head.

"And that goes for all of you too," Sheila added as she looked at the other three in the room, who each gave a nod in agreement. "Good, now, you eat all of the breakfast Damon has graciously made for you, you'll need the energy. And then meet me in the study so we can start practicing your magic," With that said Sheila exited the kitchen.

Bonnie turned her eyes back to where Damon stood on the other side of the kitchen island. He pushed over the plate of food to her with a smile and then he settled upon his stool and began to eat from his plate. Bonnie sat upon the stool right across from him as she looked down at the food suspiciously even as the aroma made her stomach growl a little and her mouth to water. "You made the pancakes into vampires?" She asked as she smiled a little at the fact he had even gone so far as to add strawberry preserves to mimic blood.

"Yeah, and they're delicious, if I do say so myself," Damon replied with a charming smile and a wink.

"You're ridiculous," Bonnie countered while her smile grew wider as she giggled a bit.

"And I'm starving," Elena quickly spoke out and ended their moment. "Where's the rest?"

"Sorry, I only make vampire pancakes for Bonnie," Damon announced as he looked up and locked his eyes with Bonnie's surprised ones. "But there's plenty of food in the fridge and pantry, help yourself," Elena stood gaping indignantly at Damon for a moment more until Stefan caught her attention.

"How about I make you one of my famous omelets?" Stefan offered her and Elena smiled sweetly over at him and nodded her head. She cast Damon a quick glance, flipped her long hair over her shoulder and then moved to the other end of the large island to watch Stefan prep the food. Bonnie watched her friend for a moment as she giggled and openly flirted with Stefan and carried on as if she and Damon were not even there.

"It's not your imagination," Damon spoke lowly to Bonnie and recaptured her full attention.

"What?" She questioned as she began to eat her food.

"She is jealous but not of you in particular. It's just that now she knows that once upon a time she was in a love triangle between me and my brother. So, she feels she should be the center of our attention. That all of my focus should be on her."

"So, why isn't it?"

"I've already told you why."

"Right, you've been there and done that," Bonnie replied. "So, what, now you're thinking you can 'focus' onto someone else? I hope you are not thinking that someone might be me, because that will never, 'ever' happen, Damon," She nearly hissed out at him as she leaned towards him a bit so he could see the truth in her eyes and also because she had lowered her voice as well.

"Bonnie, I am not putting moves on you. This," He paused as he nodded at her plate. "Is just me making you breakfast the same as I have done for many years," Damon replied calmly. "I've made you this exact breakfast long before Elena and I were married and long after. And she always hated the fact that I would never make my vampire pancakes for anyone except you. I didn't care that she was jealous then and I don't care now. This is our thing," He waved his hand over his plate of food. "It was born while we were stuck in Kai's prison world. During that time, we were both so low mentally and emotionally that we had contemplated suicide, even made a suicide pact together. Obviously, we never did it and believe it or not these," He held up a forkful of pancakes and stared at them with a look of sadness and joy. "These saved our lives. You'd pretend to hate that I made them for you, and I pretended that the only reason I made them was to annoy you. We'd bicker about it every single morning, which was what we did back in the real world too. So, it allowed us a sense of normalcy."

"And reminded us of home, and made us more determined to get back, right?" Bonnie added on as she too stared at the fork he still held up.

"It made 'you' more determined to get 'me' back," He answered honestly.

"I bet, you do annoy the hell out of me," She said teasingly and her words made Damon laugh loudly which pulled laughs from Bonnie as well. Stefan and Elena stopped their cooking to regard them, but neither of them gave any explanations they just continued to chuckle and eat their breakfast.

* * *

**Sometime Later**

* * *

Bonnie and Sheila had moved their training session out onto the huge, well-manicured back grounds. Sheila had said she wanted to teach Bonnie the power she could conjure from the elements and how something like the sun could help boost her magic. Although Sheila had done more spells to boost the protection, she had placed around the house Damon hadn't been convinced and so he joined them, but remained upon the stone patio that adjoined the house and just watched them. He knew he would be able to reach them quickly if any danger came at them.

"Now is not a good time," Damon spoke over his shoulder to the teenaged brunette he knew had been standing just in the doorway of the back door watching him. She had been there for a good 10 minutes and he had hoped that she would just go away but then he had heard her take a step out onto the patio.

"What are you doing Damon?" Elena questioned as she moved up beside him with her arms across her chest.

"What do you mean?" He questioned back though he already knew what she was referring to.

"This sudden obsession you have for Bonnie," This statement made him turn to look down at her.

"Your friend's life is in danger, I am trying to protect her, and you perceive that as me being obsessed with her?" He countered and she had the decency to look ashamed as she bowed her head and moved her eyes out to look at her friend.

"It just seems like it is more than just wanting to protect her," Elena replied. "The things you say sometimes and how you look at her when you think now one else is looking-"

"But clearly you are looking," He cut her off. "I don't think I'm the one who is obsessed?"

"I'm just concerned," She threw back as her face twisted a little in anger. "You're an evil vampire, Damon, and you did try to kill her just a week ago. I was there, I saw it, and I've had nightmares about it every night since," she said and now Damon felt shamed as he recalled that time, which to him was a lifetime ago. "I know what you, Stefan, and Sheila have told us about that being in the past, but it's your past. For me and Bonnie, it's the now. So, forgive me if I panic a little when I find you in Bonnie's bedroom or catch you watching her like-"

"Like what?" Damon cut her off again as he cast his ice-blue eyes on her. "What do you see when you catch me looking at Bonnie? Does it look like I want to harm her like I want to kill her?" Elena didn't reply as she gulped down the lump in her throat. "You don't see any of that do you, Elena? No, what you see is admiration and love," Neither of them had seen that Sheila and Bonnie were now approaching them as they had noticed Elena and Damon's heated conversation. "I admire Bonnie's fierce love, loyalty, and devotion to everyone around her, and how she tries to help anyone in need even evil things like me. And even after I tried to rip her throat out. I am in awe of how she's just an itty-bitty thing but she holds more power inside of her than that sun up there," He pointed up to the sun as he continued to glare at Elena. "I appreciate the fact that she would readily give her life for the people she loves, and I mean, without hesitation or a second thought. She's the only person in this world that I trust and respect the most," He then looked over to a shocked Bonnie who now stood before them along with her grandmother. "She's my very best friend, and I will always be there for her. I will protect her with my life and I will love her until the end of time. And I don't give a fuck if you don't like it," He hissed out at Elena who visibly flinched at his harsh words. At this point, Stefan had come and stood at the threshold of the backdoor having heard Damon's raised voice from the study. "I don't even care if you don't like it, Bon-Bon," He then looked back to Bonnie. "Because it won't change how I feel and it will have no bearings on what I will do to protect you. And just so we're all clear, I would sacrifice each and every one of you without a single regret, for her," He then turned and stalk back into the house leaving 3 stunned people behind him, with only Sheila smiling and nodding to his words.

"Well, I'm hungry. How about I make us all some lunch," Sheila's voice cut through the silence as she followed Damon's trek back into the house.

* * *

More to come...


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** _True BTVS fans will notice some ideas from Buffy. Well, Buffy did it first and in my humble opinion did it better. Also, no doubt in my mind the folks doing TVD got a lot of their ideas from BTVS ;) I am just paying homage is all :)_

* * *

Bonnie had first been shocked and then very flattered by Damon's outburst regarding her. When he had stormed off afterward she had to fight a nearly overwhelming urge to follow him and placate him in some way. A voice in her head reminded her that Damon was the enemy, but that voice grew fainter and fainter with each passing second until finally, she decided to ignore it. So, the rest of the day had consisted of Damon sulking and avoiding everyone, with Bonnie playing an uneventful game of hide and seek to find him. With a little guidance from Stefan who had told her where he and Damon used to go when they were young to hide from their father, she was finally able to find Damon in the garden maze on the back of the property.

"You shouldn't be out here, Bonnie," He spoke out to her even though she was still a few feet behind him and he hadn't bothered to turn to look at her.

"It's fine, I'm safe. Grams said she's beefed up the protection spell so Kai can't step one foot on the grounds, and it's a really beautiful and warm night. I like to take strolls on nights like this," She spoke out as she finally reached his side and began to walk along with him.

"Just go back inside," He sighed out as he threw her a quick look and when she looked up at him, his eyes held some semblance of the 'dangerous' Damon she was more familiar with. It chilled her a little but still, she continued to walk with him.

"You're not the boss of me, so, no," She finally replied as she smiled up at him and batted her lashes playfully. Damon couldn't stop the smile that spread across his lips. He reached out and grasped her hand and quickly looped it around his arm before she could protest or recoil from his touch. To both their surprise Bonnie hadn't yanked her hand away and they walked on for a few moments in silence before Bonnie spoke again. "Why did you and Stefan used to hide here?" She questioned but Damon didn't readily reply and after a few more seconds of silence she spoke again. "I'm sorry Stefan just mentioned something about it ... I know ... it's none of my business and I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's all right. It's just not a memory I like bringing to mind. Let's just say our father was not a very nice man," Damon finally revealed. "Most of the time I could get my father to focus his anger onto me and away from my mother and my brother. But after our mother left us it wasn't always so easy to protect Stefan from my father's belt or his fists, depending on his mood," He spoke as the cruelty inflicted by his father's hands lashed out at him from his memories. He shook his head slightly to push the memories away. For Bonnie, she felt a part of herself wanting to reach into the past and shield Damon from the abuse he suffered at his father's hands. Instead, she found herself gripping his arm a little firmer in support, "On those days I would bring Stefan here to hide," He continued his tale. "My mother designed this maze and she created some secret places just to protect us from our father, like this one," They had stopped in front of small section cut into the foliage wall of the maze, which housed a statue of what looked to be some Roman figure to Bonnie.

"I don't see anything except that statue," She said pointing to the stone-made man. "Oh, do you move it some way and it opens some secret door?" She asked excitedly and Damon chuckled a bit as he shook his head.

"No, the door is already there but hidden," He replied as he walked her closer. "You just have to know where to look," He then moved to the left side of the statue which appeared to just be more of the foliage, but was, in fact, a secret opening to an enclosed area. Damon entered first and pulled Bonnie in behind him. The space was tighter than he had remembered it now that he was a man, but it still was large enough that they both could stand side-by-side.

"Wow, this is amazing," Bonnie said in awe.

"There are 11 more areas just like this hidden throughout the maze," Damon stated as he stepped out from the hiding spot and back onto the main path of the maze with Bonnie following behind him. Without coaxing she reached up and looped her hand back around his arms as they continued their walk.

"Did your father ever find you in any of those secret spots?"

"No, but he never bothered to look for us either," Damon replied. "He knew eventually we'd return home tired and hungry. And he'd be waiting for us, but by then his focus would just be on me because I was the oldest and had been the defiant one. So, I would get the punishment, which was what I had wanted anyway."

"To protect your little brother," Bonnie spoke her thoughts out loud and he simply nodded. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Damon."

"It's all right, that was a long time ago," He said as he reached his other hand up and patted her hand that rested on his arm. Both pretended to not notice when he kept his hand there.

"But it was still amazing how you stood up to your father to protect your mother and your brother," Bonnie said genuinely impressed.

"Well, you're not the only sacrificial lamb in town Ms. Bennett."

"You keep calling me that but I have never made any grand sacrifices like that."

"No, because you're not at that chapter in the book yet, and now that I am rewriting the book you won't ever have to make them," He replied.

"But what if you can't rewrite every single part of the book and someone's life depends on me?"

"Depends on you giving your life for theirs? No, that's just not an option," Damon declared as he shook his head to the idea. "We'll just have to come up with another solution."

"And if there is no other solution?" She countered curiously though she was quite relieved to hear him defending her life the way he was. The idea of dying was not at all appealing to her.

"Then 'they' die and 'you' live, simple."

"And it doesn't matter who 'they' may be?"

"No, and I'm pretty sure I've said this already."

"Yeah you did and quite loudly too," She replied with a giggle to try to lighten his mood which she could see was souring again. "But what if it's-"

"I don't care who it is, Bonnie," He cut off her words which annoyed her a little as she squinted up at him a bit.

"Fine, but what if I'm not sacrificing myself for someone but for something. Like, what if it's an end of days type of thing, like when I destroyed hell?"

"That didn't actually kill you and you had help from all your witchy ancestors. But if it meant you dying to prevent some kind of hell on Earth, I'd still choose for you to live."

"And you'd want me to live and suffer in a hell on Earth? What kind of BFF are you?" She laughed out jokingly at the absurdity of it all.

"You'd have your mojo and me to protect you, you wouldn't suffer, you'd survive it all just fine."

"Wow, you seem to have my life all figured out for me," She tossed out sarcastically as she rolled her eyes a bit.

"Just the part where you stay alive."

"Yeah well, I won't live forever Damon," Bonnie said with a smile as she looked up at the stars in the sky, but when he said nothing in reply, she shot her eyes up to his face. "And I don't want to live forever either," She quickly added. "Oh my God, are you planning to turn me into a vampire?" This time she stopped and did abruptly pull her hand from his arm.

"What?" Damon looked over at her as if she were daft. "No, Bonnie, I am not planning to turn you into a vampire. Doing that would require me, first, giving you my blood and then killing you. Which would go against my 'Bonnie must not die' rule. And just for the record being a vampire isn't all that bad, you know. Some of the perks being that you'd get to stay drop-dead gorgeous, young, and sexy forever."

"Yeah, but by killing human beings and drinking their blood," She spat at him completely ignoring his complementary words. "So, as appealing as all those perks may be, I could never purposefully take a human life just to survive."

"What have I told you about reading weepy vampire romance novels?" Damon admonished and she blinked at him and looked as if he had caught her red-handed doing something unseemly. "Yeah, I know you read them and they're full of bullshit," He countered. "I did drink a couple of pints of human blood today, but I got it from my fridge, not from the veins of some virgin I killed," He rolled his eyes dramatically. "And there are a lot of places in the world, in Mystic Falls even, where humans and vampires meet up and the humans willingly offer their necks to vampires, and in the end both walk away very satisfied and alive," Bonnie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly as she looked at him in shock and disbelief.

"You really expect me to believe that people offer themselves as a Big Mac to vampires, the vampires just take what they need, and everybody walks away happy?"

"Why not, it's not like we _have_ to kill you, we just need some of your blood to not desiccate. We don't need to drain you dry. A couple of gulps would suffice," Bonnie thought on this surprising and rational piece of information for a second before she spoke again.

"Then why the hell do you vampires hunt and kill us for our blood, just for sport?" She questioned as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Yes, for some vampires that would be the reason, and I used to be that type. All vampires are like that when they are firstborn. It's all instinctual really never a necessity to do," He admitted freely and Bonnie didn't react negatively by the news. In fact, she was very intrigued by what she was learning. "But mostly it's because when we show our true selves humans tend to run, and scream, and bring attention to us."

"Oh, so it's our own fault for being scared and not wanting to be a vampire's dinner?" She tsked out as she rolled her eyes a bit at him.

"God, I forgot how annoyingly judgmental you used to be at this age," Damon said around a heavy sigh as he frowned up and his words made her feel slight shame. "I'm not trying to place blame or defend anything. I'm just trying to honestly answer your questions. Bonnie, there are supernatural beings in this world like werewolves, vampires, and witches who all have to survive the best way we know how. Do some vampires kill for blood? Yes, but many of us don't. Do some witches use their magic for evil and carnage? Yes, case in point Kai, but many like yourself don't. And the same can be said for humans, many of them do some sick and evil things too. They kill. So, in the end, it comes down to the individual being and where their moral compass leads them. And for the record, I haven't 'killed' a human for their blood in over 80 years now," With that said he walked on ahead and left Bonnie standing there silently watching him go. After a moment she had caught up to him and again walked along beside him. She kept her arms crossed at her chest to keep him from trying to grab her hand again. But also, to keep herself from subconsciously reaching for his arm again.

"So, why would a human willingly let a vampire bite them?" She asked in a meeker tone.

"Because we can make it feel very good for them," Damon answered but gave no further details. He honestly wanted to end this line of questioning because he felt any kind of vampire talk would just fuel Bonnie's bigotry towards him. When his goal was to win her over not push her further away.

"How … good?" She probed further coyly but sincerely curious to know more.

"Do you really want to know?" Damon asked as he stopped and turned to face her. In their other life, he would never have considered what he was thinking, but in this redo world, he planned to take advantage of every opportunity given him to get any and everything he wanted. So, he silently waited for a response from Bonnie and she stood quietly contemplating it for a few seconds and then gave a nod of her head. "Okay, and has Sheila taught you that neat little spell where you can burst the blood vessels in someone's head?"

"Yes," She answered as she eyed him warily and took a step back from him. "But why do I need that spell?"

"You don't," Damon stated as he shook his head. "But it might put your mind more at ease to know that it can put a vampire down quick. I know because you used to use it on me a lot. If you ever feel threatened by me or any other vampire use that spell. You'll never have to use it to defend harm from me because I promise you, I would never purposely cause you harm. I know you don't believe that yet…"

"I believe you," She interjected.

"You do?" Damon's face lit up at hearing this and he smiled a little.

"Yeah, I do," She admitted begrudgingly. "At first I thought you were full of shit and was just messing with me. But Grams, she believes you're who you say you are and that we have a close relationship in some future I'll likely never know now. She says I need to trust you. I trust her and I always do as she tells me to, so. Also, I can see it when I look at you. It's all there in the way you talk, the way you move, and especially the way you look at me. It's so different than the way you were a week ago. You've changed, softened even?"

"Softened? Ouch," He repeated as he clutched his hand to his chest in jest. "Now, there's no need for insults, Bon-Bon," Damon huffed out as he scowled up a bit at her description of him even though he wasn't at all offended by it. Bonnie giggled a little in response.

"What I'm trying to say is that I do believe you when you say that you wouldn't hurt me, here?" She placed a hand over her chest. "But here," She then tapped her temple. "It's still a struggle and my brain has full control over my magical fingers," She wiggled her fingers for effect. "So, I may react without really meaning to and hurt you."

"I'm the blood-sucking monster who could rip out your throat but you're more concerned that you might hurt me. You know, that's something you never stop doing. That insane habit you have of always putting everyone else's well-being before your own," He stated and the way he smiled when he said it told Bonnie she should take his words as a compliment. "And remember what I told you before, always trust those instincts. If your brain tells you to fry me, you fry me, and make apologies later if necessary."

"All right, but why do I need that spell right now? Since we've just established that you'd never harm me," Bonnie said and then Damon took a couple of steps closer to her.

"Because you said you wanted to know how good a vampire's bite can feel. I'm willing to show you but I'd have to bite you," Bonnie let out a whisper of a gasp but spoke no protests to what he had said. "You can use the spell to physically stop me if you were to feel threatened by me in any way," He answered in a lowered, slowed, and calmer voice as he locked his eyes onto hers. Her eyes bulged in fear and the pace of her heartbeat doubled.

"I meant for you to describe it to me, Damon, not actually show me."

"It's a hard feeling to describe though I could try, you and I both know that it wouldn't sate your curious mind, now would it?" Her silence spoke volumes and was a testament to his words. "It will not hurt at all and I'll only do this if you really want me to. Only if you give me your consent," He continued to speak as he moved closer and somehow his voice soothed her some and she stood her ground and didn't bolt like her legs were urging her to do. "If you don't really want to know how it feels," He leaned his face down until they were almost touching cheek to cheek. "If you want me to stop just say so, Bon-Bon," Damon went on with his words and his movements. Bonnie spoke no words in reply but she still welcomed his advances by tilting her head to the side to give him full access to her throat.

"I cannot believe I am letting you this close to my neck again," She mumbled out as she squeezed her eyes shut and fisted her hands at her side, readying her magic in case she needed it.

"You're in complete control this time," Damon stated as he let his eyes trace over the contour of her face and waited for her next move. "Do you want me to show you how good a vampire's bite can be, Bonnie?" He whispered these words seductively into her ear and his breath touching her flesh made her shivered a bit as her mouth fell open in surprise at the twinge of pleasure that tickled her belly. She only nodded and he shook his head. "No, if you want this you have to say so, tell me to bite you," He instructed and she swallowed the lump in her throat, lifted her head a bit, and stared right at him. Green locked onto blue as she spoke.

"I want to know what a vampire's bite feels like, Damon. Please show me," Bonnie spoke confidently although softly and Damon moved swiftly before she could change her mind and he gently slid his fangs into her neck.

Bonnie had mentally braced herself for what she was expecting to be a bit of pain at first and she steeled her body to take on Damon's assault. But she had not been prepared for the feeling that instantly struck her as her eyes snapped open and she gasped out for the fresh air her body suddenly craved and couldn't seem to get enough of, "Oh My God!" She panted out as she now turned her body into his and gripped at his arms to steady herself but also to hold him to her. She had never before experienced such a euphoric feeling that seemed to bounce throughout her body. She was still innocent and naive in the ways of sex and until this very moment had never allowed any boy this close. Yet still, she had started practicing masturbation at the age of 13 after hearing stories during a sleepover at Caroline's house. So, she knew that the titillating pressure that had rooted itself in her center and swiftly branched out to every fiber of her being was an electrifying orgasm. And it felt more intense than any feeling she had ever been able to evoke with just her fingers or the vibrator Caroline had gifted her last Christmas. This feeling she didn't think she would ever get enough of and certainly didn't want to ever end. "Damon," She nearly sobbed out as her knees buckled a little and her body grew lethargic just as it became filled once more with the tingles of yet another mind-altering orgasm. Damon welcomed her weight and held her up securely against him.

He had willed himself not to react to the sweet and satisfying flavor of Bonnie's blood, and to ignore the heat and softness of her body now pressed against him. He had lived long enough to make his body stave off the baser instincts born from his pubescent years as a human. But his body temperature quickly warmed and his cock became engorged to the point of pain, as he drank in every minuscule sip of Bonnie's blood. Yet, he stood as still as the statue in the corner of the maze watching them. But when the sound of Bonnie moaning out his name in a delirious manner flicked his ears, he quickly released her but held onto her at arm's length so she wouldn't crumble to the ground.

He saw the frown of frustration and disappointment mar her face, as she shook the haziness from her head and the glaze cleared in her eyes which now stared up at him. When she started to steady in where she stood, Damon moved his right hand from her arm, lifted his wrist to his mouth, and bit just enough to draw a little blood.

"Here, drink," He then offered his wrist to her and her frown morphed into one of disgust. "Or don't, but it's going to be very hard to explain my bite on your neck."

"Not really," Bonnie replied when she finally found her voice again. "I could just say you attacked me," She teased around a tiny smirk and he matched it.

"You could, but you wouldn't. You are many wonderous things Ms. Bennett, but a liar and manipulator you are not and have never been. Now, please drink. You just need a little sip to heal the bite mark," He nudged his wrist closer to her, and she scrunched up her face as she pressed her mouth against his wrist and suckled a little. He tried not to let on more to just how aroused he was but the feeling grew with the pressure of her hot, moist mouth upon his skin. Thankfully, Bonnie didn't linger long and she pulled back after just a sip, otherwise, Damon was sure he would have cum in his pants. He reached up, gently touched her chin with his fingertips, tilted her head to inspect her neck and she obliged him. "Good, you're already mostly healed. By the time you get back up to the house, my bite will be completely gone," He said with a hint of sadness in his tone that Bonnie took notice of. It touched her to know that he was bereaved as she was at that moment.

"Thanks," Bonnie said as she fidgeted where she stood and tried to look at anything except Damon, which he took note of. "And thanks for showing me and ... Uhm ... for," She was suddenly at a loss for words.

"The tiny orgasm?" He finished for her and her large eyes snapped up to his.

"That was 'tiny'?" She questioned though she had only meant to say it in her head.

"Yes, I didn't want to spoil it for you when you decide to make love for the first time. And I must insist that you don't waste my kind gesture on Jeremy Gilbert, please," He spat out the name as his face held true disgust. "I honestly never understood why you lowered your standards like that when you could have literally any guy you want," He ranted on never noticing the shocked look Bonnie was sending him.

"Wait, what!? Are you telling me that Jeremy and I…" Bonnie couldn't find the words as it seemed too ridiculous. She had always thought of Jeremy as her little brother. Though she could admit that over the last year she had noticed he had sprouted up and out and had gone from awkward looking to quite handsome. She quickly shook the thought away.

"Yep, you and the more annoying Gilbert do the, do. You told me once upon a time that he was your very first, and that it was 'nice'," And again the disgusted look fell on his face.

"And what's wrong with nice?" Bonnie questioned as she felt she had to defend a choice she hadn't even made yet even though the choice didn't sit right with her either.

"Nothing but why settle for nice when you can have it so good it'll literally take your breath away? Something so intense it would cause a ripple effect that a simple touch could trigger more and more orgasms," Damon described as Bonnie stared up entranced by what he was saying. "So, take my advice and don't waste your first time on Jeremy Gilbert."

"Okay," Bonnie pushed out in a slightly pitchy voice. She had almost asked him who he thought she should waste her time on but she gulped it down, nodded her head, and turned back to the way they have come. "I…I'm going to head back in now. It's been an exhausting day, you know, working on my magic and all, and tomorrow's a school day," She stated.

"Wait, you can't go to school tomorrow, Bon-Bon, it's too dangerous," Damon said as he scowled a little at the thought.

"Yeah, I know," She replied. "Stefan says he'll go in tomorrow and do some compulsion thingy that I still don't quite understand. He says he'll make it so Elena and I can home school until this danger is over," She said and Damon nodded in agreement to that idea.

"Compulsion is another one of those vampire perks," He began to explain. "We can compel others to do what we want just by telling them to. Even wipe out or alter their memories."

"Have you ever done that to me?" She asked truly concerned at the idea that she may have been manipulated like that.

"No, we can't do it on other supernatural beings like witches or vampires. Oh, well the Original vampires can use compulsion on other vampires…"

"Original vampires?" Bonnie cut in with a question.

"Another 'Big Bad' we'll talk about once this current danger is over," Damon promised. "But right now, it is getting late and all good little witches should be getting ready for bed. So, you head on up put on your jammies and make sure you brush your teeth," He said playfully. "I'll be up in a bit to tuck you in and read you more of Wuthering Heights," He continued his teasing and got the smile he was hoping for, but not the snide remark back. Instead, Bonnie's reply left him dumbstruck.

"Okay," She said with a gentle smile and nod as she tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. She then walked off and cast one look back at him over her shoulder before disappearing around a corner of the maze. Damon's face lit up with a smile that was interrupted by the hooting of an owl perched on the head of the statue across from him. It sat watching him and Damon would have sworn it was studying him. Then suddenly the owl took to the air in flight and seemed to disappear into the darkness and it also instantly left Damon's thoughts. Instead, Damon's mind returned to thoughts of a certain witch. He counted to 100 before he too moved to exit the maze and head back to the house to follow through with what he had said to Bonnie. He had stopped by the library and grabbed the first edition of Wuthering Heights before heading up to Bonnie's room. Like nearly all the books they had in their library, he knew every word on the pages by heart. But he thought it might make Bonnie more comfortable seeing the book in hand as he read her the story. Damon was sure that he could feel a shift in his relationship with Bonnie and it was a positive one. It seemed his plans to change things were actually working and in his favor.

* * *

**Elsewhere**

* * *

The owl appeared at the open window and was welcomed with an outstretched arm that it quickly hopped upon.

"Well, hello Mr. Owl, glad to see you have returned safely from the reconnaissance mission I sent you on. So, what did you see this lovely night? And please don't leave a thing out," Kai said as he smiled devilishly at the bird seconds before he gripped at the squawking owl's neck and gouged out its eyes with his fingers. He then tossed the wounded bird back out he window and placed the eyes into the bowl he had prepped for a spell. He had been furious to discover he had been magically blocked from getting anywhere near the Salvatore boarding house. But he had still found a way to get intel from inside thanks to the animals he had enchanted to spy for him. His plans to get to this younger Bonnie were not going as smoothly as he had envisioned, but they hadn't been completely derailed either. He was determined more than ever to get her one way or another.

More to come soon...


	5. Chapter 5

"What are you doing Damon?" Stefan greeted his older brother from the threshold of the front door as Damon approached. Damon inwardly groaned while his face held an emotionless expression.

"Entering my home," Damon answered nonchalantly as he tried to cross the threshold, only to be stopped by Stefan's hand pressed on his chest. He looked down at the hand and then up at his sibling. He didn't resist when Stefan shoved him back out the door, walked out after him, and shut the door behind them.

"You know what I'm talking about. How could you bite Bonnie?" He asked as he folded his arms across his chest and cast a hard glare at Damon, who looked a little surprised that Stefan knew.

"Were you spying on us?"

"No, but when Bonnie came in, I smelled you all over her, and I smelled her blood, which had also slightly stained the collar of her shirt. Then I noticed how dilated her eyes were," Stefan replied. "I thought you said you were going to do things differently this time around. Taking advantage of a young girl is something 'old' you used to do."

"I didn't take advantage of anyone," Damon nearly growled out as he rolled his eyes at his brother. "Bonnie 'asked' me to bite her."

"Why would she ask you to bite her?" Stefan questioned mainly to himself as he pondered on it.

"Go ask her," Damon spat out. "I am really sick of constantly having to defend and repeat myself, but I'll say it once more for you little brother. I would never hurt Bonnie. I'd rather die than hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't Damon, I never doubted that," Stefan said. "My concern is that you're using your knowledge of her future to manipulate her. What do you hope to accomplish, Damon? What are your intentions with Bonnie?"

"Currently, my intentions are to keep her alive and safe by any means necessary."

"And once that's done, what then?"

"That's a very broad question, little brother, be more specific," Damon said around a sigh. He was growing annoyed with this interaction and interruption to his bedtime plans with Bonnie.

"Are you trying to have a romantic relationship with Bonnie?"

"Right now, I am just trying to become her friend by showing her the man that I became as opposed to the man she knows," He stated as Stefan watched him silently waiting to hear the answer to his question. "And if that develops into something romantic between us, I would welcome it with open arms," He added and this time Stefan nodded his understandings.

"So, you're still in love with Bonnie?" Stefan made the statement.

"Yes … Wait …" Damon frowned up at his brother's question, genuinely surprised he had been aware.

"Yes, Damon, I noticed it even way back then in that other life. When you returned from Kai's prison world without Bonnie it became very clear to me from the way the loss of her affected you," Stefan cut in and answered Damon's uncompleted question. "I think even Elena saw it. But once Bonnie was back home you focused back onto Elena, and I figured that you finally matured and realized you couldn't have them both and just chose a life with Elena."

"And if I could turn back the hands of time," Damon said lowly as he stared off a moment and then he snapped his eyes back to his little brother as a wide smile spread across his face. "Oh wait, the hands of time have been turned back by Kai. Now, I can make the right choice."

"And life with Elena wasn't right?" Stefan countered as his brow bunched a bit with concern.

"It just wasn't what I had envisioned."

"No, it never really is, and the same could be said about any kind of life you have envisioned with Bonnie too, Damon."

"Except I also shared a life with Bonnie and believe me it was a great life," Damon offered. "She showed me how wonderful things could have been. And I can't tell you how many times I wanted to just run away with Bonnie, how many times I had asked her…"

"Wait, you and Bonnie were having an affair. You two were cheating on me?" It had been Elena's disapproving voice that posed the question, and the Salvatore brothers looked over to the now opened door where she stood eavesdropping. Stefan scowled up a bit at her but her behavior just pulled a laugh from Damon. He honestly hadn't minded the intrusion as it would allow him to escape from Stefan and get to Bonnie, which was what he had wanted, and it also afforded him a chance to make things clearer for Elena.

"No, Elena, Bonnie was always a true friend to you, and she would never do something like that. It's not in her nature. As for me, 'I' didn't cheat, get pregnant, and then pass another man's child off as mine," Damon spoke calmly with his demeanor and voice showing no malice. Though his eyes spoke of his anger and hurt. Both Elena and Stefan stared at him in shock and disbelief. "And yeah, I know that you, right now, technically never did it, and now you never will, not to me at least," He tossed on. "But I still can't help hating you a little bit for it. I still loved and raised our daughter Stephanie like my own, and she never knew I wasn't her father. I never even told you that I knew the truth and we stayed married until your death. But that's all water under the bridge as they say. Now, if you two will excuse me I am going to head upstairs to do some reading before bed," Damon then moved back to the door and walked past Elena without a glance as he entered and headed to their library.

"No, that can't be true. I can't believe I did something like that," Elena spoke again as she hugged herself, shook her head in denial, and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"As Damon said, you haven't done it yet and now you never have to," Stefan said and then he too walked off and left a confused young woman to stare after him longingly. She had recently been told that once upon a time she had two great loves in the Salvatore brothers, but she now realized that she would likely never get to experience it. This made her feel bereaved and bitter about it.

* * *

**A short time later**

* * *

He had entered through their adjoining door. He hadn't intended to enter unnoticed but Bonnie was seated on the window seat strumming on a guitar, he had never known she owned or could play as expertly as she was. She was completely unaware of his presence and when her beautifully melodic voice touched his ears Damon was transfixed where he was, completely enthralled.

_"Childhood living is easy to do_

_The things you wanted I bought them for you_

_Graceless lady you know who I am_

_You know I can't let you slide through my hands_

_Wild horses couldn't drag me away,_

_Wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away_

_I watched you suffer a dull aching pain_

_Now you've decided to show me the same_

_No sweeping exit or offstage lines_

_Could make me feel bitter or treat you unkind_

_Wild horses couldn't drag me away_

_Wild, wild horses couldn't drag me away."_

Bonnie sat staring up at the full moon hanging high in the sky as she strummed the guitar strings, still oblivious to her audience as she continued to sing.

_"I know I've dreamed you a sin and a lie_

_I have my freedom but I don't have much time_

_Faith has been broken tears must be cried_

_Let's do some living after we die_

_Wild horses couldn't drag me away_

_Wild, wild horses we'll ride them someday_

_Wild horses couldn't drag me away_

_Wild, wild horses we'll ride them someday."_

"That was fucking amazing Bon-Bon," Damon's voice scared her as she leaped up and nearly dropped her guitar. "I mean, seriously, you should be recording albums and sharing your voice with the world. Why have you never told me you could sing like 'that'?"

"Because we're not BFFs yet, remember?" She spoke around a kind smile as she coyly ducked her head and averted her eyes to his accolades. "And since you seem so surprised, I take it I never shared it with you even after we were BFFs. Truthfully, singing is a 'just for me' hobby I have. I've never even performed for Grams."

"Then I am truly honored," Damon said sincerely as he placed a hand over his heart and gave her a bow. "And now that I know I will be expecting more. You truly sing like an angel, Bonnie."

"Thank you," She replied as she blushed and then quickly changed the subject before, he asked for an encore. "So, you've really come to tuck me in and read me a story I see," She nodded towards the book he held.

"I am a man of my word, and I see you're all ready for bed," He said as he took in her attire, a lace strapped cotton gown that fell just above her knees. Damon couldn't help the way his eyes raked appreciatively over her frame, nor could Bonnie stop the deep blush it pulled to her cheeks. "Now hop into bed and I will read until you drift off," He said and she settled her guitar on the window seat, moved to the bed, and hurriedly scurried under the covers. Damon moved to the chair in the corner, but before he could settle into the seat Bonnie called to him.

"You know, this bed is plenty big, we could share it and not even touch one another," She stammered nervously. "If…if you want to. I…I mean, instead of sitting uncomfortably in a chair all night," Damon watched her intensely with his head slightly tilted as if it helped him to better gauge her true thoughts and feelings. After a few seconds, he gave a curt nod and then moved to the bed. Bonnie scooted further to one side to ensure there was a comfortable distance between them on the oversized bed. Once they both were settled in, he began reading. It wasn't long before Bonnie had drifted off to sleep, and he had closed his eyes to rest them for a moment.

He snapped his eyes open when he felt a sudden weight across his chest and warmth against his body. His eyes scanned his surroundings briefly before they settled down upon the serene face of Bonnie, who lay with her head nestled upon his chest. He figured by her position and by the moonlight now shining through the window that they had been sleeping for a while. He shifted a little with the intent to disentangle from Bonnie and go to his own bed, but it became futile when he realized she had a firm hold on him which tightened whenever he moved. He smiled broadly as he chuckled and placed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

"Bonnie," He whispered to her. He wanted to rouse her enough to make her shift and release him but not awaken her fully. She frowned and grumbled slightly but then rubbed her nose into the nook of his neck and quieted once more. "Bon-Bon," He called to her again around a kiss. "I should probably go to my own bed now," He continued to whisper.

"Comfortable … warm … smell good," Was all she mumbled out which invoked another chuckle from Damon.

"Yes, all very true," He teased having sensed she was more awake and would hear him, and she giggled in reply.

"God you are such a conceited asshole," Bonnie whispered out as she moved her head back a little, slowly opened her eyes, and gazed up at him.

"Also, true and just a part of my overall charm," Damon replied with a wink and smirk. They both grew silent as their eyes scanned the other's face. Damon was struck by just how flawless and gorgeous Bonnie was at such close inspection. And then his body became fully awake to the fact that hers was so close and he became suddenly aroused. "I think I should probably leave," Damon spoke again but made no movement.

"Yeah, I think you should too," She concurred through a sigh but still didn't move to release him. "But then I remembered the part about you being comfortable and warm and … Oh," She squeaked out as her eyes enlarged at feeling the bulge in his crotch. She gulped down a sudden lump in her throat as she stilled the leg that she had innocently brushed across his lap. "I'm sorry," She spoke even lower than the whispering she had been doing, and Damon could almost smell her embarrassment along with a pleasing womanly scent that spoke to her arousal. When she tried to remove her leg and shift from him, he quickly yet gently captured the bare leg across his lap and held it still. Bonnie locked her questioning eyes up to his and she was greeted with black eyes that had just a hint of their normal blue hue around the edge of the pupil.

Bonnie knew she should have pushed him away, used her magic to fend him off, but she didn't. She didn't feel threatened by Damon's touch or being so close to him. In this moment, her urge wasn't to recoil from him, it was to grip at him and pull him closer. It was a feeling so overwhelming that she trembled a little from the need. Damon wasn't conflicted at all about what was happening between them. He had already decided he was going to grab hold of any opportunity that presented itself that would get him closer to Bonnie. He wanted her and he wasn't afraid to let her know how much.

"If you want me to leave just say so," He offered her a means of escape.

"I think you should," She replied.

"Yes, we both recognize that I 'should', but do you 'want' me to?" He asked her as he traced his fingers against the back of her thigh and pulled a shaky gasp from her lips. After a second's pause, she shook her head no. "And what do you want me to do?" Her eyes became panic-stricken to the ideas that popped into her head and by the fears that accompanied them. "I already told you, I won't do anything that you don't want me to do, Bon-Bon," He assured and she felt some mild relief.

"Do you…" She held the question for a moment before she decided to be brave and continue. "Do you want to have sex with me, Damon? Is that what this is about?"

"No," He replied point blank and then grew silent for a second before he continued. "I didn't come here with the intention to seduce and bed you. And I honestly have no desire to have sex with you," He added and Bonnie quickly dropped her eyes from his and nodded her head as she tried to extract herself from him, but Damon only tightened his grip on her leg. "To me, sex is too quick and really requires no feelings or connection. It's just an act," He started to explain and was able to recapture her attention. "Just two body seeking its own gratification. I could have that with anyone, I have had that with many. And I don't want that anymore and definitely never with you."

"Right, I heard you the first time," Bonnie grumbled out offended and embarrassed as she once more tried to pull away. Damon smiled a little knowing she was misunderstanding him.

"You, little bird, are too delicate and too special for just sex," He spat out in contempt as if the idea of it was so beneath her. She stilled and locked her eyes back onto his. "You must be handled with care and worshipped. And any man blessed to have you would never be foolish enough to rush through it. So, no I don't want to have sex with you Bonnie, but I would give anything to make love to you, slow and deep," He added with a lowered tone as he moved his face closer, and surprise-filled Bonnie's face at hearing this. "Some would tell you they're the same thing, sex, and lovemaking, but I promise you they are not. And I would be happy to show you the difference someday if you ever wanted me to."

"Jesus," Bonnie hissed out under her breath as a jolt of wantonness began to fill her. Her eyes rolled closed for a second before she pushed back the feelings filling her, opened her eyes once more, and refocused back onto Damon. He basked in the effect he could see he was having on her. "No, I don't think I am ready for anything sexual yet. I've never even gone on a real date with a boy before," Bonnie confessed. "And this is insane, you do know that, right? I mean, like seriously Looney Toons. You're my public enemy number one, my nemesis. The antagonist to everything I do and everything I stand for. You're like Darth Vader and I'm Luke Skywalker," She continued and pull a laugh from Damon. "I'm being serious, Damon," She chastised even as she too giggled along with him. "This, what we're doing right now, and what we're thinking about doing, it's not supposed to be happening. We're supposed to hate each other and two days ago we really did hate each other.

"Well, it was more like 60 years ago from my point-of-view," He threw in as he lifted his hand from her thigh, reached up, and carefully brushed her hair from her face. He then traced his finger over the bridge of her nose down to her lush lips. Which he had to fight himself not to kiss at that moment.

"Yeah, and that's quite the conundrum, isn't it? You see me as your best friend and someone you love. I see you as an evil bloodsucking fiend, who I can't trust."

"Is that how you still see me, really?" Damon questioned and though his face gave nothing away, her words still stung him.

"No," Bonnie replied as she shook her head slightly. She knew her words had hurt him and something inside her needed to placate him. "Not really, and that confuses me and it really terrifies me too," She confessed and he felt his heart lurch at now seeing what he was doing to her. "There's this voice inside of my head screaming at me right now, saying that we should not be in bed together, not like this, and that I shouldn't trust you." She said even as she remained still pressed against him. "It's screaming because it's not as loud as it was yesterday. Today I can barely hear that voice. I've always heard it so loud and clear since I was a little girl. I've always trusted it and it has saved my life. And in just a couple of days you, of all people, have turned down the volume of that voice, and I can't believe I just told you all of that," She tacked on as she frowned up a little as her mind began to reel. "Damon, this isn't right."

"But It feels right, and I think you feel it too. And that's why that voice isn't as loud as before," Damon replied.

"No, I mean this all feels … it feels too easy. I don't know why I would let you get this close, and tell you all that. And you, before you've been more subtle with your feelings toward me. Now, you're being sort of on the nose with it. It just doesn't feel like it's…" Her words stalled as her eyes widened a little. "Oh no," Her frightened gaze and words push away the haziness Damon had been feeling and he focused on her distress.

"What is it, what's wrong?" He questioned as he sat up fully and allowed her to do the same.

"I don't think this is real," Bonnie answered as she quickly hopped from the bed and moved to the door that adjoined their bedrooms. She groaned a little when she found that the doorknob wasn't tangible, but was plastered like it was painted onto the door.

"What is it?" Damon asked as he watched her closely.

"I'm sorry Damon," Bonnie spoke as she turned back to face him as he now moved from the bed to stand closer to her. She hugged herself defensively as she nibbled at the bottom of her lip. "I'm dreaming and I've accidentally brought you into my dreams," She finally stated.

"Wait, you think we're in your dream?" He said in a disbelieving tone while he eyed the familiar surroundings. Then one second, they were standing in the darkened bedroom and the near second they were standing in what looked to be an endless field of poppies on a sunny day.

"I know we are because I can control it," She answered as Damon twirled in his spot trying to take in everything. "Just give me a minute and I should be able to pull us both out," She said as she took a deep breath and began to close her eyes.

"Wait, where are we right now. In the real world, I mean?" Damon stopped her as he gently grasped her wrist. Bonnie returned her gaze back onto his.

"Revelare," She spoke out a spell and a mirror appeared before them suspended in the air, and in the mirror, they saw themselves, both sound asleep in their own beds. "Looks like we're safe and sound asleep."

"So, whatever we do here in your dreams it doesn't affect our bodies out there?"

"No, our bodies kind of shut down as our minds drift into a kind of a catatonic state," Bonnie replied. "Besides, breathing and our hearts beating we don't move, can't move."

"But this all looks, smells, sounds, and feels very real," He said as he reached down and plucked one of the poppies. He then turned to Bonnie and tucked it into her hair.

"It is, we still have all of our basic senses here. The best way to think about it is, it's like our minds have been transported to a different place. You're still you and I am still me, but here in dreamland, we're more uninhibited. We can think, act, react more freely then we might when we're awake in the real world. It's more laid back and carefree here."

"So, we can do whatever we want here without any real repercussions when we go back to the real world."

"Not exactly, I mean, it wouldn't affect anyone else, but 'we' could be affected, because we'll remember everything we do here in the dream once we're back in the real world," Bonnie explained.

"Good, because I want you to remember this," Damon said right before he tugged her against him and captured her mouth in a deep, sensual, toe-curling kiss. When he released her Bonnie was sure had he not been holding her close her legs would have given out. Her head suddenly became foggy as the desire she had been feeling toward him ever since he confessed, he would sacrifice everyone just for her, began to fill her once more. She suddenly became hot all over and her breaths came in pants.

"Damon," His name was spoken with such heady desire that it surprised them both; her because it had been her own voice that spoke, and him because her need was palpable to him. Damon took this as an invitation and flashed his fangs to her a split second before he latched them into her neck. He didn't hold back this time as he pulled her into a swift orgasm which he didn't allow her to relish before he had pulled another, more intense orgasm from her along with a scream of elation. "Ahhhhhhhhh!"

Bonnie bolted upright in the bed, screaming her pleasure at the top of her lungs, while she clutched at her neck and sought to grip the head that was no longer there. She snapped her eyes open to find herself alone in the large bed she had been given in the Salvatore home. As she tried to calm herself both of the adjoining doors to her bedroom opened. Sheila rushed to her granddaughter's bedside while Damon lingered at the threshold of his door, where he watched them. Hints of his vampiric guise still evident on his face as he huffed out breaths. He too was coming down from his own orgasm which he had experienced in their dream.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Sheila asked in concern as she clutched both of Bonnie's arms in her hands. "Babygirl, what happened?"

"I'm okay, Grams," Bonnie finally spoke with labored breaths. "It was just…" Her eyes darted over to where a more composed Damon now leaned against his door jamb staring at her heatedly. "I had a nightmare," She finally lied as she averted her eyes down to the bedding in fear her Grams would know she was lying to her. Before the elder Bennett could probe further the main bedroom door burst open and Elena and Stefan rushed in.

"Bonnie, are you okay? We heard you screaming," Elena spoke in a panicked voice as she rushed over to her best friend. Stefan locked his eyes onto his brother as he stood just in the doorway. Damon simply sent him a shrug in reply to the question he saw in his little brother's eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine. I just had a nightmare is all," Bonnie repeated her lie. "I'm sorry I woke everyone up."

"It's nearly 7 o'clock, I was already up doing my morning meditation anyway," Sheila said as she placed a kiss upon her grandchild's forehead and then took a step from the bed. "I'll go start breakfast. How does scrabble eggs, bacon, pancakes, and freshly squeezed orange juice sound to everyone?" She asked as she moved past Stefan at the main door.

"Delicious, Sheila, and I'll help you," Stefan offered as he followed her out of the main bedroom door.

"Are you sure you're, all right?" Elena asked once more as she sat on the bed next to Bonnie. She reached up and stroked her fingers through Bonnie's hair to tuck it behind her ear. "What's this?" Elena questioned as she pulled her hand back which now held a bright red poppy flower. Bonnie instantly snapped her eyes to where Damon lounged in his doorway. She could see his eyes darken with lust as he stared back. "How did you get a flower in your hair?" Elena continued her probing.

"I put it there last night," Damon was the one to answer. "I picked it during our walk in the garden just for Bonnie," He added to the lie and got the reaction he had wanted. Elena bowed her head a bit and handed the bloom back to Bonnie, who took it in hand.

"Well, I am going to go get dressed and then head down to breakfast," She then stood from the bed. "I'll see you down there?" Bonnie nodded.

"Thank you for checking on me Elena," Bonnie spoke out to her friend who she could tell was sad though she wasn't sure why, but had her suspicions. Elena tossed her a nod and a smile and then without another word or glance back she exited the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Bonnie threw back the covers and climbed from the bed. She purposely avoided Damon's gaze as she moved to the bureau and pulled clothes from its drawer. "I'm sorry I brought you into my dreams last night, Damon," She spoke with her head bowed a bit while she busied herself with picking her clothes and avoiding looking directly at him.

"Well, I'm not sorry, and you can invite me into your dreams whenever you like, Bon-Bon," Damon replied and he was so close to her that she did look up at him in surprise. He stood right beside her now, towering over her. "How did this happen?" He posed the question as he placed the poppy flower, he had picked up from the bed back into her hair and then turned her slightly until she was staring at herself in the large mirror that was attached to the bureau.

"I don't know," She replied as she frowned up a little contemplating it while watching Damon's hand gently stroke her hair around where the flower rested. "That's never happened before and it shouldn't be possible, to bring something from my dreams out into the real world. I'll have to research it, maybe check the Grimoire."

"Why not just ask Sheila about it?" Damon asked as he trailed his hand down from Bonnie's hair onto her neck.

"Because she'll want to know about the dream," Bonnie answered as she captured his eyes in the mirror. She could feel herself become aroused by his fingers which were brushing across her clavicle bone. "Stop that," She spoke in a lower voice in a tone that told Damon she wanted him to do anything else except stop, but still he removed his hands from her body. "What happened, what we did … Damon, it was just a dream-"

"No, it was a revelation Bonnie and you know it … you felt it just like I did," He cut her off as he took a step closer into her space and she now had to crane her neck to look up at him. "You don't have to be afraid of it. It doesn't ever have to happen again," He continued and Bonnie's heart mourned at the thought of never sharing such pleasures with Damon. "Unless you want it to. You have all the control, you know? All of it, so we can go as fast or as slow as you want. Or we can stop it all now before it gets any deeper."

"You mean before our feelings start to get involved?" She asked and he shook his head.

"No, my feelings are involved because I already love you," He confessed freely and Bonnie didn't act surprised because the way this Damon had acted and the way he spoke to her, told her how he felt. "But I will not try to force you to reciprocate. While you and I do have a very loving and respectful relationship in your future, it was never a sexual one. Yes, there were moments…" He looked off at the nearby wall as if he were lost in that memory and then refocused back down onto her. "But you would never indulge them, and I would never push you to."

"Because of Elena," Bonnie spoke this as a statement, not as a question.

"I didn't push because of my care and respect for 'you'. But in your case, yes, it was for Elena's sake. In every friendship I've ever seen you have 'you' were always the better friend. Always, giving regard to the other person even when they didn't give you the same regard."

"Even with you?" She asked curiously.

"Especially with me," He answered honestly as he chuckled. "You know how I am now, I mean, the Damon of this time. I only get worse in the coming years. First, I became consumed with having Elena, and then when I get her, I became consumed with keeping her. Even if it meant sacrificing her witchy best friend to any big bad that came along," Damon became nervous at the emotionless look now on Bonnie's face. He had decided he would be open and honest with her but now he feared he had divulged too much.

"That sounds like a scary but amazing kind of love," She said as a slight feeling of jealousy filled her.

"No," He shook his head to that idea. "It wasn't really. I was more obsessed than I was in love," He countered. "And you helped me to realize that fact. I just wish I had realized it sooner," Damon let his thoughts wander for a second before he shook his head and refocused back onto Bonnie. "I guess none of that matters now."

"Because now you plan to do it all differently, right?" Bonnie offered as she used his earlier words and he nodded in agreement. "And what does that mean exactly? I mean … What are your plans for me, Damon?"

"You tell me," Damon countered as he stepped away from her and back to his bedroom door. She turned to stare after him, her confusion evident on her face. "From now on I won't say or do anything that will make you feel confused or scared about our relationship. As much as it pains me to say it, maybe Stefan has it right. Maybe I have been using my knowledge of our future together to manipulate you. But no more. I'm giving all the cards to you, Bon-Bon. So, you have to tell me how our relationship will go, or if you even want a relationship of any kind with me. If you don't want me around, just say the word and I'll leave Mystic Falls, once we've eliminated this Kai threat. You think about it and just let me know what you decide," With that said he exited her bedroom through their adjoining door.

Bonnie stood there a few moments staring at the closed door. She knew Damon was trying to do the right thing by letting her control their situation. But the thought of it just caused her more fear and confusion. She felt that keeping Damon at arm's length would be the easiest choice for the people she loved, but there was something in her heart that told her if she did it would be a great loss for her.

* * *

Song: Wild Horse By The Rolling Stones (I was thinking of 'The Sundays' version)


	6. Chapter 6

"We can't stay here forever, Stefan," Elena declared just as Bonnie had entered the room having come downstairs for breakfast. She quickly scanned the room to find her grandmother standing at the large island sipping coffee while Stefan and Elena were seated at the kitchen table having a discussion.

"It won't be forever, just until we can find Kai and eliminate his threat," Stefan said.

"And how long will that be, huh? And doesn't that require leaving here and going out to look for him?" Elena countered as Bonnie moved to the island and took the glass of orange juice her grandmother held out for her. Sheila Bennett then turned, moved to the stove, grasped the plate of food she had prepared, and then turned back and slid it over to Bonnie.

"Damon and I will go out and look for Kai. There's no reason for you or Bonnie to be out and in possible danger."

"Why are you so sure this Kai guy will use me as leverage."

"Because he's done that before."

"So, who's to say he won't use Jeremy or Caroline or Matt, instead?" Elena continued.

"Because they don't matter," Damon was the one to answer as he breezed into the room, and Bonnie shot her eyes up to look at him as he made his way to the fridge. When he sent her a quick wink as he passed, she just as quickly dropped her eyes back to her plate of food.

"They all matter to me, Damon," Elena spat at him venomously.

"But not to me," He replied as he pulled a bag of blood from the fridge and began to pour it into a mug to heat up. "You're only in danger now because before Kai knew that I loved you. He knew that besides my brother and Bonnie, you were the only other person I really cared about. More than anything he wants to torment me. That's why he tied your life to Bonnie's. He used a spell that would make you sleep for as long as Bonnie was alive."

"Oh my God, are you serious?" Bonnie exclaimed and her fears grew over this warlock who was after her.

"Yeah, it's true," Stefan confirmed.

"So, he probably mistakenly still thinks the same rule will apply," Damon continued. "That my old obsession with you would make you the perfect pawn to hurt me. Add to that he knows how selfless Bonnies is when it comes to the people she cares about. That makes you an asset to Kai, which puts your life in danger. But hey, if you want to leave and risk Kai snatching you up to dangle as bait, that'll probably make it easier for us to find him. So, go right ahead. You know where the door is."

"Damon," Stefan chastised his cold manners.

"What?" Damon replied in a snappy tone as he scowled at his younger sibling. "We don't have time for the 'what about me' Elena Gilbert show. We've told her there's some witchy dude running around out there hunting Bonnie, and he will likely use her to try to lure us out, and she still wants to leave. So, let her go. I'm not going to waste any more breaths or energy convincing her to stay, but I can promise you, I won't be running in to save you once he has you," He spoke this directly to a stunned Elena, who stood gaping at him. He then turned to Bonnie, "And I won't allow you to either, and I don't care if I have to chain you down in the basement. I will do just that to keep you safe." They all stood silent, Bonnie because her fears were growing, Elena because her feeling was hurt by Damon's callous words, Stefan because he silently agreed with Damon's stance, and Sheila because she found the scene somewhat entertaining.

"If I may interject," Sheila finally spoke out. "If Elena wants to leave, she can 'safely' do so, and you can too babygirl," She said to Bonnie as she lifted her confused eyes up to her Grandmother's face, as she stood smiling back at her.

"But How, I thought we agreed it was safest for you all to stay here," Stefan questioned.

"And I still believe it is," Sheila replied as she nodded her head slightly. "We'll still stay here but I've worked out a new protection spell. It's sort of a mix of different protections spells I know. Basically, it won't allow for any magic to be done against you nor any injuries."

"And what's the 'but'?" Damon asked as he regarded the elder Bennett in the room. He knew better to ever question Sheila's skills as a witch, but knew there had to be a catch otherwise she would have mentioned this before now.

"But … it'll wear off after a short time."

"How short of a time?" Bonnie asked.

"You'll only have 4 hours and the clock will start the second you put on this ring. It's 8 am now, so if you were to put it on now, you'd have until noon, during which time Kai won't be able to harm you magically or otherwise. The spell will automatically restart at the same time every day unless you reset it. The only way to reset it is from within this house, where the spell was cast. Once you've used the ring for the day you simply take it off that night and then put it back on the next day at whatever time you want to use it, before you go out," Sheila replied as she held out a small ring which had a beautiful violet crystal encased in it. Bonnie took the ring and examined it closely. Sheila them held out the other ring she had made to Elena, who took it with a happy thank you. "I didn't want to try to push it for more time because when you put that ring on it's going to block your magic too, Bonnie. There's no way for me to block just Kai's magic. I mean, there are counterspells for spells but I'd have to know ahead of time what spell he might use against you. And that's just not possible, so I had to be general and just make it block all kinds of magic. I know it's not a lot of time, but I figured it will allow you girls time to go out instead of being cooped up in here 24/7 driving me crazy."

"It's great, thank you, Sheila. I really want to check on my Aunt Jenna and Jeremy," Elena spoke this as she pushed the ring onto her finger. "Do you think you could take me?" She then turned to Stefan with wide pleading eyes.

"Of course, we can go whenever you'd like," He offered and she hurriedly nodded in agreement. He then turned to Bonnie, "Did you want to go too, Bonnie?"

"I'll take her anywhere she wants to go," Damon quickly cut in.

"I have no one I need to see," Bonnie replied. "Grams is here with me, and my dad is out of town on business. So, I'll just stay here."

"Well, why don't you and I go to the grille and grab some lunch for everyone," Damon suggested.

"Yes please, I have been craving one of their juicy cheeseburgers and fries," Sheila said as a push as she could see that Bonnie was reluctant.

"But we haven't even finished eating breakfast yet," Bonnie stated.

"We've got four hours; we'll just hang out in town and waste time for a couple of hours. Then we'll stop by the Grille. It'll be lunchtime by the time we get back," Damon countered but he could see Bonnie was still unconvinced.

"Bonnie," Her grandmother's gentle voice pulled her in and she locked eyes with her. "I promise you that Kai can't hurt you in any way while you have that ring on. And don't forget you have your very own personal vampire bodyguard," This caused Bonnie to move her eyes to look at Damon who just waggled his brows at her in reply.

"Okay," Bonnie conceded with a nod of her head. "Do you think we can stop by Grams on the way? There are a couple of things I'd like to get since it looks like we are going to be staying here for a bit."

"Sure," Damon nodded.

"Maybe we should all go together," Elena spoke out.

"Why?" Damon posed this question as he sighed slightly and looked over at the petite brunette. "You have the protection ring and a vampire bodyguard of your very own. You'll be fine."

"I'm not worried about my safety with Stefan, but you did try to kill Bonnie just a few days ago," She nearly spat out in reply.

"Oh, 'that's' the reason you don't want me to be alone with Bonnie?" Damon chuckled a little though the hard glare he shot her spoke to his true annoyance.

"Of course, it is," Elena replied. "Contrary to what you might believe Damon, and in spite of the horrible person you say I became. This version of me, right now, I love Bonnie. She's like a sister to me and I don't want to see her hurt. And sorry, I'm just not fully convinced yet that you aren't a danger to her," Damon regarded her for a second and he could see that she meant what she said. Even in their lives 'before' he knew Elena truly loved Bonnie like a sister and would never wish her any kind of harm.

"Fine," Damon grumbled out, "Bonnie, would you feel safer if we all went together?" He posed as he looked directly to Bonnie.

"No, it's fine," She answered and Elena shot her a hurt and concerned look. "Really, Elena, I'll be okay with Damon. I trust and believe my Grams when she says he will keep me safe," She added on and Damon felt slightly hurt by the implication that it was only Sheila's word that had convinced her, as he had thought in the past couple of days, he had convinced her he wouldn't hurt her.

"Wonderful," Damon responded with false excitement as he dramatically raised his hands to his chest and clasped them together. "Now, that that's settled, let's go before I change my mind," The annoyance fell upon his face again as he turned and walked out of the kitchen without another word. Bonnie shot the others a nervous look and then hurried out after him. She caught up with him outside at his Camaro. She got in and Damon sped off even before allowing her to buckle up. She struggled a second to get her bearings and finally clicked in the seatbelt.

"I trust you Damon and I believe … I know you wouldn't hurt me," Bonnie told him and then noticed how the tight grip, he had on the steering wheel lessened and his knuckles relaxed. "I couldn't tell Elena that because I know she would have made a big deal about it, and would want to debate with me about it. And to her defense, she was there last week when you attacked me. I don't even really remember it but the way she described it to me, it really terrified her," Damon simply nodded to this but Bonnie could see just by the way his jaw twitched that he was not appeased. "You know, it's kind of weird to see you act so abrasive towards Elena. Usually, you handle her with such care and adoration even. Now, you act as if you despise the sight of her. And I get it, I mean, in the future she cheated on you and then lied to you about your daughter. But you said that you forgave her."

"Yeah I did, but that doesn't mean I wasn't pissed off about it or that a part of me didn't hate her for it," Damon stated as he kept his eyes locked onto the road.

"Yeah, I get that, but it seems like there's more to it than that and if you ever want to talk about it, I'd listen," Bonnie said and he looked over at her in awe as if she were some mystical or mythical being, which she misread as him being annoyed and begin to backtrack, "Only if you want to."

"Fuck, why do you always have to be like that? Why do you even care?" He mumbled the last bit to himself but she still heard him. She couldn't understand what she had said that had seemingly upset him.

"I'm sorry," She began to speak but then she jerked forward a bit when Damon suddenly pulled the car to the side of the road, parked it, and turned to face her.

"Don't apologize to me, never apologize to me," He snapped and she frowned up and tears pricked at her eyes as a sad feeling started to fill her. It seemed to her that Damon was rejecting her in some way and it actually hurt her feelings. At this moment she wished they had gone with Stefan and Elena, and she shot a quick glance at the passenger side window to see if they were on the road behind them yet. Damon could see she was now upset and knew he was the reason. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and bowed his head a bit. "I'm sorry if I've upset you, Bon-Bon. I'm not mad at you. Hell, I'm not even mad at Elena. I'm mad at myself for being so stupid. Being back here at this time and getting a redo on this part of my past life is turning out to be a drag."

"Why?"

"Because I have the clarity to see situations and people in a better light. I was a real jackass and absolute fool the first time around. And it really sucks to know what I could have had when compared to what I ended up with."

"I'm sorry, Damon," Bonnie spoke softly to him. "But it's like you said you get to do it over, and this time you can do it differently," Damon nodded to this as he subconsciously studied her face and features.

"Thank you," He spoke kindly in a softened voice.

"For what?" She asked back.

"For always being my solace," He answered with a slight smile that she copied. "And you're right. Instead of dwelling on the past, which was technically an alternate future, I should focus on doing it right this time around."

"Right, that's the spirit," Bonnie said as he smiled more broadly at her.

"Would you mind if I kissed you?" He asked completely change the air in the space and caused Bonnie's throat to tighten a little. And she instantly felt herself start to perspire. "I'm not asking your permission to kiss you," He clarified, and she was relieved and disappointed all at once. "I'm just wondering if it would bother you if I did lean over and kissed you right now. I know for sure had I kissed you on this day back in my alternate past you would have torched me, no doubt. Because I terrorized you and terrified you and you hated me for it. But on this day in this new alternate past, would it bother you?"

"Had you asked me that two days ago…" She tossed out around a nervous smile.

"I know, but I'm asking you about right now at this moment," He replied.

"No," She finally responded and could see he misunderstood and so she continued, "It wouldn't bother me if you kissed me. In fact, I wish you would kiss me, and that's what bothers me and it scares me."

"You don't have to be afraid, Bonnie," Damon stated as he reached up his right hand and cupped her left cheek.

"Of course, I do, Damon," She scoffed at him a little but she didn't rebuff or recoil from his touch. "Three days ago, I was working on 'how to kill Damon Salvatore' spells," He chuckled at this knowledge as he dropped his hand from her face. "You laugh but I'm dead serious," She said giggling a little at his merriment.

"I know and you once told me that you had even made a Damon voodoo doll too," He said as he continued his chuckles.

"Yeah, I did, but I just hated you so much and wanted you to leave me and my friends alone, but now …" She ducked her head a little and dropped her eyes from his soul-searching stare. "Now my fantasies about you have changed virtually overnight from homicidal to … sexual," She pushed out the last word very low as if she were afraid that someone else could have heard her. When she braved a glance up at Damon the lustful look in his eyes sent a jolt through her and made her squeak out her next words, "Which makes me believe that you lied to me about that compulsion thing you told me about. I mean, that's the only thing that could explain this craziness," She said and giggled nervously as she reached up to tuck a loose lock of hair behind her ears, to no avail as when she bowed her head again it fell back down and obscured her face. Damon smiled and lifted her hand to her hair and moved the hair back from her face once more. He continued his grooming as she brushed her tresses back from her shoulder to settle at her back. This exposed her beautiful slender neck to him.

"We can't compel witches, sorry but you can't use that as an excuse for this," He spoke this as he rubbed his thumb in small circled along her neck while he slowly leaned closer to her.

"And what is this exactly, Damon?"

"Whatever you want it to be, Bonnie," He replied. "Just tell me what you want. We're the only ones here, you don't have to be afraid to speak exactly what's on your mind or tell me what you want. So, what do you want?"

"I want you to do things I shouldn't want 'you' to do," She replied honestly, and as if she had flipped a switch the sexual tension between them ended and Damon released her and turned back forward in the driver's seat. He put the car back in drive, pulled back onto the road, and drove back down the highway. Bonnie sat silent and baffled for a moment before she spoke again, "Did I say something wrong?" She looked over at him and his face held no anger.

"No, you have not done anything wrong, Bon-Bon," Damon turned slightly and graced her with a charming smile. "I'm just not going to do something impulsive with you, something you are not ready for and would definitely regret later. I've been there and done that too many times I care to remember, and it had never ended well for me. I want you I think I've made that quite clear. But you know what?"

"What?" She replied her interest piqued.

"I want you to want me back. This time I am not going to pine for or chase any woman who doesn't really want me. I know you are not the type to play mind games or string anyone along. It might take you some time to know what it is that you really want, but once you do you will let me know. And I'll wait. I've got all the time in the world, and you're worth the wait, Miss Bennett," He shot her a quick wink as he said that and she blushed and smiled back.

"And what if I can't tell you what you want to hear?"

"Then I'll lick my wounds and move on."

"You'll leave?" She didn't add on the 'me' that almost slipped out.

"Not literally, no," He answered and smirked a little when he heard her let out a sigh of relief. "I was being dramatic earlier when I said I'd leave Mystic falls if you asked me to. I won't ever leave you, Bon-Bon. Even if you told me to go away and leave you alone, I wouldn't actually leave you. I wouldn't interfere in your life and you'd probably never 'see' me around you, but I'd never be too far away. I lied earlier because I know that might sound scary-"

"No," Bonnie quickly interjected as she shook her head a little and actually thought about it. "It's not scary, it's comforting. You don't have to be here right now helping me. Lord knows I haven't been the nicest to you these past couple of days. I do appreciate you and Stefan both for helping us, and I am glad you're here. And I haven't said it yet but thank you, Damon."

"You don't have to thank me. I am here and will do whatever I have to do to keep you safe. And I do it because I had a revelation many, many years ago during a moment when I thought about letting you get hit by a truck so Elena would wake up."

"Uhh, what!?" She turned to him horrorstruck by what he had said.

"Relax, it was just a three-second fleeting thought,"

"Do you know how long three seconds is in a life and death situation?" She asked and he looked at her with a big brilliant smile on his face, which made her a bit mad. "You think it's funny?"

"No, it's just that we've had this conversation before and you said that exact same thing."

"Oh, and what was your answer?" She countered as she crossed her arms against her chest in a defensive manner.

"I told you the truth, that I would never have allowed you to be harmed because at that moment I realize how much I really loved you and how engrained you were in my thoughts and feelings. I knew then just as I know right now if anything ever happened to you, I'd lose my mind."

"Good answer," She replied as she turned to look out the window and hide the smile on her lips. Not realizing he could see her reflection in the passenger-side mirror, and a smile played upon his lips as they drove the rest of the way in silence.

* * *

More to come...


End file.
